Another Story
by Purple Mouse
Summary: Once upon a time, a bunch of reincarnated seishi went to college and did fairly normal College Things...but when you're a reincarnated seishi, can your life EVER really be normal? Nuriko'sPOV;shounen ai; FINISHED!! **cries** Fun stuff added ^__^
1. Default Chapter

Another Story ****

Disclaimers: Why do I even bother? -_-()

****

Warnings: Rated R for language (not because it's a pirate fic. Get it?? Arrrrrr?? …'kay, never mind). Also shounen ai, but not in this chapter, really.

****

Notes: This is a veeeeeeeeeery different type of story for me… -_-() Um, it's _kind of _an AU, because it's set in the US (I know more about the university system here). Otherwise, it's pretty much safe…as of now, at least. I really don't know what my goal is with this. **shrug**

****

Another Story

(The title used to be pending, but what the heck, I can't think of a better one. ^_^)

****

I peered out the door of my dorm, craning my neck like some kind of Mission Impossible reject, and glanced carefully in both directions.

__

Nothing. Nothing. Good.

With a deep breath, I adjusted my satchel on my shoulder and proceeded to walk as quickly across the street as I could without calling unnecessary attention to myself. Kept my eyes focused straaaaaaight ahead…and slipped through the door of Taka's apartment building—propped open with a doormat, as usual. A sigh of relief escaped my lips as I climbed the flight of stairs and rapped "Shave-and-a-haircut" on Room Number Six.

Taka opened the door just nanoseconds later, fixing me with an amused expression.

"Hi," I panted, offering him a smile.

"I saw you coming through the window…Why the paranoia?"

I rolled my eyes and pushed past him into his (surprisingly neat) apartment, slinging my bag from my shoulder and plopping down on the moderately nasty couch that had come with the place. "Gaaaahhh…that Chuin guy's stalking me again."

"Oh, _no_," my friend winced. "Didn't you make it clear to him that you weren't interested??"

"YES!!!" I exclaimed in exasperation, flinging my arms out so that they draped haphazardly over the side and back of the sofa. "A thousand times yes!! 'Chuin, you're a nice guy, but I'm not looking for a relationship right now.' 'Oh, really, well, that's fine; hey, do you wanna go get coffee sometime?' 'I'm sorry; I don't _drink _coffee.' 'Right, how about a movie?' Argh, argh, ARGH!!! He's not a dumb guy!! _Why won't he take the hint_????!!!!"

Taka chuckled, moving to sit in the chair across from me. "I'm sorry. I have to admit, though, he _is _kinda weird."

"He's normal enough," I mumbled. "He's just a _stalker_. I need to get '_I Neither Want Nor Need A Boyfriend_' tattooed on my forehead, or something. But sadly enough, he'd probably ignore it anyway. Please, let's talk about something else."

"Maybe you _should _go out with him."

With a frown, I raised myself up slowly, fixing him with a dangerous glare. "Pardon?"

"Whoah, easy, Killer…" Taka raised his hands to fend me off. "I'm just saying, maybe if you went out with him _once_, he'd stop being such a pest."

"Yeah, or maybe he'd start making _wedding _plans, and he'd kidnap me to Holland."

"There's that risk," he admitted with a quirky smile.

"Oh, GOD!! Why don't boys just LEAVE ME ALONE???" I groaned, dropping my head back once more.

"It's because you're just so darn cute," Taka teased. 

"Shut up."

"Hey, I'm serious!! If I weren't with Miaka, I'd _totally _be hitting on you, too."

"Want me to smother you with this pillow?" I growled, holding up the mentioned object threateningly.

"Let me think….No."

"Freak."

"You want a soda or anything?"

"Giving me anything hard and hurlable right now would _not _be in your best interest."

"Okay, _okay_," he laughed. "Fine, I was kidding."

"So you _don't _think I'm cute?"

"_Ryuuen_!!"

"All right," I said with a giggle. "I'm done. End of conversation. When's Gen-chan getting here, again?"

"He's picking up the movie, sooooo…pretty soon, I guess."

I raised an eyebrow. "_Genrou's _choosing the movie? Is it his turn _again_?"

Taka shrugged. "I guess. So he claims. I told him to pick an action movie."

Smiling, I squinted my eyes at him. "You realize that means he's coming home with either 'Braveheart' or 'Gladiator.'"

"That okay with you?"

"Yeah. I like 'em both, even though I've seen them…gosh, _how _many times?"

"Enough to have the fight choreography memorized."

A sudden thudding sound came from the direction of the door, followed by a muffled stream of curses. 

"He's here!" I chirped.

Taka went to open the door for Genrou, who huffed into the room with a scowl. "What the _hell_?? Lockin yer fuckin door when ya know I'm comin!!"

"Sorry. From now on, I'll prop it open with a brick day and night, on the off chance that you decide to drop by."

"That's not the point, goddammit!"

"Since when can you just walk into my apartment, anyway?" Taka exclaimed, amused. 

"He's just embarrassed that we heard him run into the door," I supplied from the couch.

"I didn't run into the goddamn door!!"

"Uh huh."

"Shut the hell up!"

"Can we watch the movie, please?" suggested Taka. "It's not getting any earlier, and Ryuu-chan has a class at eight."

"Really? I thought you'd managed to worm your way into a fuckin No-Class-Till-Noon schedule."

"Yeah, but every other week, I have one at eight," I said, wrinkling my nose. "It's a meeting class for my thesis. It's really dumb; we don't do anything but talk about stupid stuff. And it's hard to wake up so early, because I'm adjusted to waking up later this semester. But it's an extra credit hour, anyway."

With a fanged grin, Genrou jumped onto the cushion next to me, leaned forward, and pinched my cheek. "Awwww…ee so smart!! Writin a thesis!! You cwazy, but you smart!!"

I swatted his hand away. "Will you leave me alone?? Go put the movie in!"

"Which one didja get?" Taka inquired.

"Brrrrrrraveheart!" he replied, in what was possibly the worst Scottish accent I'd heard in my life. "Ach!! Whatta ya THINK I was gunna fockin rrrent??"

But, as he lifted the cassette out of its box, his eyes went wide.

"WHAT?" he cried angrily. "What the…GAHH, dammit!! Shit!!"

"Something wrong?" I asked calmly.

"Those idiots put the wrong fuckin tape in the box!!" Genrou was incensed; the worth of the world, in his eyes, had just dropped about a thousand points. "I thought they were fuckin s'posed to check that when ya rent a goddamn movie! Instead of 'Braveheart,' we've got fuckin 'Dead Again'!! What the hell is 'Dead Again'??! Shit! Now I gotta go return…"

"Wait!!" I exclaimed. " 'Dead Again'?? I heard that's supposed to be really good!"

My red-headed friend gave me an outraged look.

"Really!" I insisted. "I know it's not 'Braveheart,' but why don't we try it out?"

Taka shrugged. "Fine with me. I've never seen it, but I've heard the same thing."

Pouting, Genrou looked at the tape, then back at us again. "Is it a chick flick?"

"No! I know guys who said it's good," I said.

He raised an eyebrow at me.

I threw a pillow at his head. "_Straight _guys!! I know _straight _guys who said it's good, all _right?_!"

"Play the movie, please?" Taka reminded him.

"Right, right, right," Genrou replied, and shoved the tape into the VCR.

Apart for a minor outburst during the first thirty seconds of the movie (Genrou shouting, "Ah, _dammit, _it's in _black and white???!!!_" and Taka and me responding with, "SHHHHH!!!!"), we were all entranced by it. The suspenseful ending scene found all three of us huddled tensely on the couch, and Genrou even screamed once. (Well, it was more like a roar, but fundamentally…) As the credits began to play, Taka reached up to switch on the floor lamp, and we all looked around at each other.

Genrou, realizing he'd unconsciously grabbed my arm, shoved it back at me frantically.

I laughed. "Like it?"

"You guys didn't tell me it was a fuckin love story," he frowned, crossing his arms.

"Oh, come _on_! You liked it!" I pushed his shoulder.

"Wasn't terrible," he grunted.

"_I _thought it was good," said Taka. "Do you guys believe in that stuff? Reincarnation, and all that?"

"I dunno. I guess I really haven't thought about it all that much," I said. "It's a neat idea, though."

He just stared at me.

"Uhhh…hello? What?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow. 

He smiled quickly, and rose from the couch. "Ahhh, well, what now? Anyone want some leftover pizza, or something?"

"You're on!" exclaimed Genrou, leaping over the back of the couch and into the tiny kitchen.

I, meanwhile, gathered my things together and hoisted my satchel over my shoulder once more. "I'm actually gonna go, I think."

"Huh? Not hungry?"

"Nah, I can't eat anything this late; it'd keep me up." I shrugged apologetically. "But, hey, I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay." He walked me to the door. "Have fun at your 8:00."

"Ohhhh, don't worry." I rolled my eyes, and called into the kitchen. "Night, Gen-chan!!"

"Mmmph mm!!" He'd found the pizza.

With a laugh, I waved at Taka and made my exit, walking briskly across the street and into the ridiculous warmth of the residence hall. (There was no such thing as 'Warm' in the building's temperature regulation system: 'Freezing' or 'Boiling' seemed to be the only two possibilities.) 

A few minutes later, teeth brushed, face washed, and clad in my favorite blue-and-teal-striped pajamas, I was sitting at my computer, checking my email before going to bed. I had three new messages in my campus account: one from my thesis advisor, one from Taka reminding me to come watch a movie at his place tonight (sometimes, mail took a while to transfer), and one from…

__

Crap.

Cringing, I opened the message from 'chuinryo@students.allenby.edu,' braced myself, and read it:

Date: Sun, 28 Oct 2001 22:53:06 –0500 (CDT)  
From: Chuin Ryo chuinryo@students.allenby.edu  
To: Ryuuen Chou rchou1@students.allenby.edu   
Subject: yo

Hey Ryuuen! Would you like to go to dinner with me sometime?

—Chuin

"Oh, GOD," I moaned, slapping a hand to my head. What was _with _this psychopath??!! I _hated _the position he was putting me in; absolutely _hated _it!! I wasn't sure _what _to think! Did he think I was playing hard to get, that I was somehow leading him on? I hoped it didn't seem that way! Sure, I talked to him and stuff, but I'd always been _quite _firm about not wanting a boyfriend! Not just him; not _anyone_. I didn't need that kind of complication in my already complicated life. 

But the poor guy just seemed so _desperate_…and I kept turning him down, time after time. _He must really like me_, I thought in horror. I should have been flattered that someone should care so much, but somehow, the thought just made me want to throw up. 

__

Why the heck do I feel guilty?? It's not MY fault I'm not interested!!

But the fact remained that I _did _feel guilty…I hated myself for it, because Miaka always said I was too self-sacrificing, and I had reluctantly begun to agree with her. I couldn't change it, though. 

So, gritting my teeth and mentally berating myself all the way, I decided to take the chance that Taka had offered:

Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2001 24:04:57 –0500 (CTD)  
From: Ryuuen Chou rchou1@students.allenby.edu  
To: Chuin Ryo chuinryo@students.allenby.edu  
Subject: Re: yo

Sure! Do you like Italian? I'm free tomorrow, Wednesday, and Thursday nights, so whatever's good for you.

~Ryuuen

This wouldn't be so hard. I'd just pretend we were going out as friends…just a couple of friends, eating pasta, like friends do all the time. And I'd try to make it _impossibly _clear that we _were _just friends. _IMPOSSIBLY _clear. And if he didn't get it this time, I'd punch him in the head.

With a sigh, I sent the message, locked my door, and turned off the light. Crawling into bed, I searched blindly for the remote control and snapped on the TV; 'The Exorcist' was playing on the RHA cable channel, and I fell asleep to the sound of children screaming.

~*~

I stood in a field of purple flowers, peering up at the blue sky; the clouds were moving surprisingly fast, and I feared there would be a storm, despite the sun shining on my face. __

"Damn video store," grumbled a voice behind me, and there was Genrou, dressed in the robes of a Jesuit priest, prying open a case. "GAAHH!! 'Little Women' in the 'Mortal Kombat' box???!!! THE POWER OF CHRIST COMPELS YOU!!! THE POWER OF CHRIST COMPELS YOU!!!" 

Someone shouted something vulgar-sounding in Latin, and Genrou disappeared. 

Whirling, I came face to face with Chuin, who was wearing a tuxedo and smiling warmly. "Will you do me the honor of moving to Holland with me?" he said, holding out a yellow rose.

I screamed and turned to run, but collided with a wall of red fabric…Taking a shaky step backward, I realized that the wall was actually a chest. I peered up into the face the chest belonged to: it was a young man, handsome, with long, brown hair and sparkling golden eyes. I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

The young man regarded me calmly before saying, in a deep, melodic, gentle voice, "Do you believe in reincarnation, Nuriko?"

And the phone rang.

~*~

I woke in a state of confusion and disorientation, but soon came to realize exactly where I was and that the phone ringing piercingly in my ear was, in fact, _real_. Scrambling to the foot of my bed, I picked it up.

"Uhh…he…llo?"

"May I speak to Ryuuen?"

"This is he…"

"Ryuuen? This is Professor Michaels…you're supposed to be in class right now."

I fumbled to look at my watch, which I wore to bed every night because I couldn't see my digital clock without my contacts. 8:05. Crap.

"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry!" I stuttered into the phone. "I'm…gosh!! Jeez…I'm sorry. I'll be over in ten minutes."

As I raced around the room, pulling on a random sweatshirt and random jeans and grabbing papers left and right, I wondered _why _the professor had bothered to call… granted, there were only three other people in the class, but that usually wouldn't make a difference.

__

Oh! I realized as I flew out the door, tugging on my coat as I went. _It must've been Doukun! He must've remembered I was meaning to come to class today, and realized that I'd overslept_. Thank goodness for Doukun…in a class that was graded by attendance, it was _not _good to miss a day.

It was only when I was halfway to class that my extremely weird dream came back to me. Aside from the fact that it _was _extremely weird, I could explain everything in it...except for the cute guy at the end. 

__

"Do you believe in reincarnation, Nuriko?"

Where had _he _come from? I couldn't remember ever seeing him before; if I had, I'm sure I would have remembered. And who had he been talking to? He'd been looking at me, but…

__

"Do you believe in reincarnation?"

I shook my head almost violently as I neared the classroom. _Stop it, Ryuuen. It's just a stupid dream. Just a dream, that's all…_

…TBC…

****

Notes: Ehhheheh…I'll take messed-up dream sequences for $500, Alex? ^_^ 

'Dead Again' is a really good movie! Check it out if you haven't seen it! ^_^ Why all this talk of Holland? Not only is it a nice place to visit with lots of tulips, windmills, and clogs, but it's the only country in the world (I think) where same-sex marriage is legal. First I thought this was true of Vermont. Then, I thought it was Hawaii. However, I have been proved wrong on both counts, but fear not!! I am CERTAIN that this is true of Holland. ^_^ In case the last note didn't give it away, Ryuuen is, indeed, a guy in this story. ^_^ Random note: it was really funny, because when I typed Ryuuen's and Chuin's email addresses, at first it went blue like a link. ^_^ Could we really email them? Heh heh…makes one wonder if, by some bizarre circumstance, the addresses would work if you sent stuff to them. I wouldn't try, though; it could scare some innocent people. ^_^ 

So…uhhhhh… **shuffles feet, twiddles thumbs** didja like it? Feel free to tell me if you think of any ways to improve it, etc. Thanks for reading! ^_^


	2. Behind Their Eyes

ANOTHER STORY ****

Disclaimer: -_-() **twiddles thumbs**

****

Warnings: If you're not a fan of shounen ai, ya might not wanna read this. ^_^ 

****

Notes: Thaaaaaaaaank you for editing, Kaze-chan!! **gives Kaze-chan candy, but only one piece per day** ^_^ And thanks also to Hime, who pointed out that same-sex marriages aren't actually legal in Hawaii. -_-() (They took the right _away_??? Ch! And I thought tolerance was supposed to get progressively _better_!! Argh.) So as soon as I can, I'll go back and change "Hawaii" to "Holland" in Chapter One. I'm SURE it's legal in Holland. No, really, I swear! I was wrong the first two times, but I just heard it on Will & Grace last night!! ^_^ Just pretend that's what it says now, kay? ~.^;; heh heh. Okay, and while I'm at it: thanks to everyone who reviewed!! And thanks to everyone who's actually reading my stuff!! May the Four Gods bless you with much Fushigi Yuugi merchandise. ^_^ (Like WALL SCROLLS!!!) ^_^ 

****

ANOTHER STORY

Chapter Two:

What's Behind Their Eyes

"Thanks again," I told Doukun as we headed out of the history building after class. "I can't believe I didn't wake up on time! I've _never _overslept before!"

"There's this fascinating appliance called an _alarm clock_," he joked. "I've heard they're _extremely _useful."

"I've never needed one before, though," I frowned. "I used to have a great internal alarm. Hmm. My timing's probably just screwed up because I have later classes this semester than I've ever had before."

He shot me a sarcastically sympathetic look. "It's a tough life, isn't it?"

"I'm just glad Michaels wasn't too mad," I continued.

"Well, you were only ten or fifteen minutes late. That other girl—the one no one really knows?—has missed _two whole classes _so far. Do you think she's dropped?"

I shrugged. "Well, that other guy decided not to write a thesis at the last minute. It's like 'Survivor,' or something. One person a week voted off the island."

That made him laugh. "So, what's up for you today?"

"Not a whole lot. Geology at noon, German at two…homework in between…and then I'm going out to dinner, I think."

He blinked, surprised. "Really? With who?"

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhchuin," I mumbled, wrinkling my nose. "So what's up with _you_?"

"Did you say _Chuin_??" Doukun exclaimed, his eyes wide. "You're going out with _Chuin_?? Your freaky stalker guy??"

"I'm _not _'going out' with him!" I said firmly. "We're just going as friends."

"I thought he had a crush on you."

I frowned. "He does."

Doukun gave me a small smile. "Does _he _know you're 'just going as friends'?"

"It doesn't _matter _what he thinks. All that matters is what _I _think. A 'date' takes the mutual agreement of both parties involved. And it is _not _a _date_."

~*~

"So, I'm so glad you _finally _decided to go out on a date with me!" Chuin said with a grin, leaning his elbow on the table and swirling the straw around in his Sprite.

I rubbed the bridge of my nose, which had begun to irritate me. He'd picked me up promptly at six; I'd been cowering in the door-frame of my dorm, wincing at every car that passed, as if my subconscious were screaming at me through a megaphone that I _really _didn't want to do this. But I'd be strong…I'd be a nice guy. Let him down gently. Mother of God. Did he _really _have that much of a crush on me??? _Friends. Focus on being FRIENDS. Crap. He barely even knows you. He's barely an ACQUAINTANCE, for crying out loud!!_

"Read any good books lately?" 

I blinked. "Um…what? Sorry."

Chuin smiled over his soda. "That's okay. Read anything interesting lately?"

"Oh…no, not really," I replied. "I've been pretty busy, you know…I have this huge paper and…"

"Ah! That's right! You're writing a thesis!"

I blinked. _Did I ever even tell him that? _

"Your thesis advisor's Professor Michaels, right?"

__

Okay. Officially creepy. "You…know my schedule?"

He turned the slightest bit pale. "Ummm, I'm pretty sure you told me."

"I don't think so."

After staring at me for a while, he gave a nervous chuckle, cleared his throat, and started playing with his napkin.

__

Oh…my…God. 

All right, I thought, _now's your chance… 'Look, Chuin, you know we're just friends, right?' That's all you have to say. 'You know we're just friends, don't you, you frightening, scary, obsessive, stalking…' No, no…Be tactful. 'WHY DON'T YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALOOOOOOOONE????'_

"Chu…" I began, but he interrupted.

"Y'know, you'd look really cute in drag?" he said confidentially, a hopeful expression on his face. "Ever considered it?"

AND…it was my turn to stare at _him_.

__

What in the name of all things holy???!!!!!! What the hell????!!!! What…the HELL????!?!!!!!!

"Ummmmm……okay. Right. I'm leaving now," I said incredulously, grabbing my stuff and throwing my napkin on the table.

Amazingly enough, the psychopath actually looked _surprised_. He stood up and tried to follow me. "What? What's wrong?"

Without a word, true to my promise, I socked him in the face. There was a resounding crash as I headed out the door, but I didn't turn to see the damage I'd caused. With luck, they'd charge it to Chuin "Lock-Me-Up-I'm-A-Freaking-Pervert" Ryo's account. 

Stepping out into the darkness, I adjusted my bag and stomped off down the sidewalk. The _nerve _of that guy!! He barely knows me, has me raised up on some kind of damn pedestal…and he has the _audacity _to suggest that I _cross-dress_??? I didn't even want to _think _about the weird little fantasies his psychotic little mind had cooked up… Gaaahhhhh, ewwww!!! I had nothing against people who cross-dressed; after all, it was their choice. But you _don't _just go around asking random people to dress as _women_!! Even if they _are _small-boned and…well…_Aaaaaahhhhhhhrrrrggghhhhhh!!! _I had to grow some facial hair, or go around shirtless every day, or something.

I was angry as hell, and to top it all off, tears began to well up in my eyes. _What, ya gonna CRY like a girl, stedda dressing as one?? _But it really had upset me. Why had I ever _agreed _to this?? How stupid and naïve was I, to think that two years of infatuation could be cured by one dinner?! I _never _wanted to see Chuin again, _that _was certain!

After a while, my furious pace slowed as the heat of the moment died down. I was only wearing jeans and a sweatshirt, and the chill of the night was beginning to get to me. Crossing my arms tightly across my chest, I shivered and plodded onward; the restaurant wasn't _very_ far away from the dorm, but I still had a fair ways to go. I began wishing it had been _me _who had the car, and _Chuin _who'd been abandoned without vehicular access, forced to walk home in the cold. I didn't know how far away _he _lived, because _I_, for one, was _not a stalker_. 

I was walking by the small park, a good half a mile or so away from home, when I heard and felt a car pull up beside me. My whole body tensed, my heart beating rapidly, and I felt in my pocket for my keys; if held correctly, keys could make an effective weapon against muggers and creeps, or so I'd been told.

"Ryuuen! Come on, get in the car!"

Although some of my fear disappeared when I realized it was only Chuin, what little of it that had abated was soon replaced by renewed anger. I marched on determinedly.

"Look, I'm sorry, okay?" he whined, driving at a snail's pace close to the curb. "I'm _sorry_! But you can't walk all the way home!"

"Go away."

"Will you just get in the car?" he pleaded.

"There's _no way _I'm getting in a car with you!" I yelled, walking faster. "Go _away_!!"

He stopped the car, opened the door, and got out.

__

Oooooooooooh shit oh shit oh shit!!

Chuin Ryo came across as a fairly unobtrusive person, he really did! But he was bigger than me, and like I've said before, I didn't _really _know him. The most unobtrusive people can possibly be the most violent, I've heard…and with the freaky comment he'd made in the restaurant…I guess I knew him even less than I _thought _I had.

I sped up even more, still clutching my keys. "Please…go away! I'm fine, all right? I'll be per…I'll be perfectly fine walking home by myself…"

"Can I just _talk _to you?" Footsteps…catching up…and he reached out and grabbed my arm.

I lost it. I wrenched away and tried to kick him in the groin, but I missed and got his knee instead; he gave a yell of surprise and stumbled, and I bolted, running blindly, off the sidewalk and into the trees. _Stupid_!! I yelled at myself. _You don't run into a forest when someone's trying to catch you!!! Don't you watch ANY horror movies???_ But as soon as I tried to alter my course, he was there, behind me, and grabbed my arm again.

"Let me _go_!!" I yelled, trying frantically to break free.

"Will you _stop _it??!" he roared, pulling me back. "I just want to _talk _to you!! Stop _running_!!"

I tried to kick him again, panting hard with fear, but fright had made my limbs freeze up and I couldn't manage much. "Please…please…" I choked desperately.

"Let him go."

Chuin froze, still latched tightly to my arm; the voice had come from a tree to our right, and we both turned to see a black-clad figure standing there, regarding us calmly.

"Wh…what do _you _want, pal?" Chuin asked.

"I've already told you," said the figure. "I want you to let the boy go."

"We're just having a talk…"

"Excuse me. I don't believe I have any sort of complicating speech impediment." Stooping down, the stranger took a fallen branch from the ground; again facing Chuin, he held the thing as if it were a sword, as if challenging him. "Let go. Now."

And he let me go. 

Treebranch Dude gestured to the car with his 'weapon.' "Get going."

Chuin shot a look at me, then nodded, feigning composure. "We'll talk tomorrow, Ryuuen; good night." 

"Not if I can help it, creep," I muttered after him, my voice still shaking slightly, as he got into his vehicle and drove away.

Now, by all rights, I should have been more afraid of Treebranch Dude than I had been of Chuin. Chuin, I at least _sort of _knew; this guy in the black coat was a complete stranger. But, strangely enough, I hardly felt any sense of urgency once Chuin had gone; somehow, inexplicably, I just wasn't afraid of him.

"Are you all right?" he asked, and stepped out of the shadows.

"Y-yes…yeah. Um…thank you," I said weakly, trying to will my nerves to settle. He was taller than I was, and had long, dark hair…I couldn't see his face for the darkness, but I could see the moonlight glinting off his eyes.

__

There's something…there's something…

"Allow me to escort you back to your residence," he offered, depositing the branch on the ground.

"Oh, you don't have to." I was rapidly regaining my senses, thank goodness. "It isn't far…and he won't be back, I don't think, if that's what you're…"

"I insist," he said smoothly, and ushered me to the sidewalk. "My name is Saihitei. And you are?"

"Ryuuen," I said, becoming slightly perturbed by this sudden chivalry. _Oh, God... bet he thinks I'm a girl. That would explain…_ But he'd said "_boy_," hadn't he? He'd said, "_Let the boy go_…" Maybe I'd heard wrong. God dammit to hell.

"Ryuuen," he said quietly. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I must say, I'm glad I was here to help you. That gentleman seemed rather…unstable."

"Aw, he's just a spazz," I muttered, giving one last shudder for posterity. "I don't think he really would have hurt me…" _Don't know that for sure, though, do ya, kiddo? _"But again, thank you; he had me kinda freaked out." Ouch. Painful understatement. I'd been as near to a quivering mass of jelly as a jellyfish sitting in a pile of jelly having an epileptic seizure on top of a blender.

"Do you know him well?"

"Not really. We lived in the same dorm two years ago."

"I see."

"Do you go to school here?"

He nodded. "Grad school. Foreign relations."

"Oh, yeah? That's cool…"

We were nearing a streetlight, so I sneaked a peek up at my rescuer, and was startled to see…

__

Ahhhhhhh, no way!

Long, sepia hair, tied back into a loose ponytail…golden eyes set in a long, smooth, pale face…

…The guy from my dream.

__

No WAY!!

He looked down at me, probably feeling my eyes on him, and frowned. "Is something wrong?"

__

Well, ya know, even though I've never seen you before, I had a dream about you last night where you asked me if I believed in reincarnation, and I think you're pretty cute? "N-no, I'm fine," I said.

A smile played about his lips. "Do you find me attractive?"

__

Oh, good God. A faint blush crept across the tops of my cheeks. "I…"

"Many people find me attractive," he went on matter-of-factly. "It isn't anything to be ashamed of. You just have good taste, I suppose."

"It's…you look like someone from a dream I had," I mumbled. Immediately afterward, I had to restrain myself from bludgeoning myself in the head. _How did you let THAT out??? He's gonna think you're NUTS!!! _

But he only laughed. "Do I?"

"Uhhhh, sorry," I said quickly, "you probably don't…I mean…that was a pretty dumb thing to say."

"It's all right," he assured me. "I actually get it a lot."

"I just don't want you to take it the wrong way, or anything…"

"Are you cold?"

I nearly tripped over a crack in the sidewalk. "Ahhmmm, what?"

"It's cold outside, and you don't have a jacket," he observed, hands going to the buttons of his own coat.

"Ahhh, no, no, no!!" I exclaimed, eyes bugging out, waving my hands profusely. "No, I…no, I'm all right! Please, you don't need…"

"I have a blazer on underneath the trench coat," he insisted. "I'm getting rather warm, anyway." He handed the coat to me.

I accepted it uncomfortably. No one had ever offered me a jacket before, for whatever reason…certainly not a perfect stranger. I began to wonder if this guy was a figment of my imagination; maybe this whole thing was a dream. Maybe Chuin had hit me on the head or something, and this entire episode was just some kind of subconscious hallucination.

Feeling guilty, I shuffled to a halt.

He stopped, as well, looking back at me with a somewhat tired expression. "What now?"

"You…you do know I'm…a guy…right?" I said quietly, uncharacteristically shy. 

He looked at me questioningly, and I was afraid he _hadn't _known, that he'd be angry…but then his face relaxed into a smile.

"Of course," he said. "I'm not an idiot, you know."

My eyebrows went together. "And…you…you're not, ahh…" _Why are you being so nice to me, then??_

"Ryuuen," he said, stepping up to me. "I've dreamed of you, too, you know."

I was startled. "You have?" _Why on earth?? Who IS this guy, anyway??_

He nodded. "Yes. I have."

My breath made tiny, cloud-like puffs as it escaped into the night.

"But," he said, still smiling gently, "the only thing I saw was your eyes."

Blinking, I stared up at him, feeling the warmth in my cheeks increase and spread. _My…eyes? Why…_

But I understood, then. It didn't matter. It didn't matter at all. 

I smiled, still timid—_Yeah, you're just a bud of blushing beauty, aren't ya?_—and we began to walk once more, silent, side by side.

What can you tell about someone, after all, from whether they're a guy or a girl? Not much, I suppose. 

It's what's behind their eyes that counts.

TBC….

^_^

Gaaaaaahhhh, I was in a sappy mood. ^_^ ^_^ I VERY rarely write this kind of thing, but I must have been possessed by the "Hotohori and Nuriko!! Kawaaaaiiiiiiii!!!" Bug. ^_^ 

Oh, and a small aside to y'all who were perplexed by Ryuuen being gay in this story: it's just an interpretation! ^_^ But I think I can safely say that, of all the FY characters, Nuriko's probably the most open-ended as far as "orientation" goes. ^_^ The whole point of the story so far is that it shouldn't really matter, anyway. ^_^ People in Holland seem to have figured this out already. Wonder what's taking us so long?! ~.^;; 


	3. A Caffeinated Encounter

ANOTHER STORY ****

Warnings: No disclaimer. **Gasp!!** Rated R for Tasuki-language. It's SO weird for me to write some of the stuff that's coming out of this boy's mouth. I don't say much more than "dammit" in everyday conversation. ~.^;; I do, however, have plenty of friends for inspiration. ^_^ Oh yeah, another warning: Weird Dream Sequence, Take Two.

****

Notes: As always, thanks to my buddy Kaze-chan for giving this a scan and hunting for college-isms. ^_^ Because you are so kind, you can have Nuriko for your birthday AND for Thanksgiving. We can debate later over Christmas and New Year's, since we don't want him to be TOO travel-weary in the holiday season. You can have Potato and Tomato for both occasions, though. I've a feeling they might want to keep together, being stew ingredients, and all. 

O.^ "All Hail Genbu no Miko!"

o "All Hail Whoever can Unshrink My Head!"

**Clears throat and looks around at everyone else, who have NO IDEA what the heck she's talking about** Um, yyyyeah…sorry about that. ^_^ As always, a big THANK YOU to everyone who's reading this! ^_^ It's not as romantic/sappy/blech as the last chapter. ~.^ Have fun, everyone!

****

ANOTHER STORY

Chapter Three:

A Caffeinated Encounter

__

I was standing on top of a cliff this time, looking out into the desert. There was breath on my neck, and I shuddered.

"You shouldn't have run away," said Chuin's voice. "I just wanted to talk to you, ya know."

Before I could turn around, he was in front of me; but in an instant, his image flickered, and…

"Chuin, what the heck are you wearing?" I said. "Halloween isn't for another two days!!"

"Kekekekekeke…" he laughed behind the mask of clownish face-paint he had somehow acquired. "Let's go see a movie! You have to dress like Molly Ringwald, though…"

Suddenly, a fist connected with his jaw, and he went flying over the cliff with a loud and obnoxious yell.

"I've dreamed of you, too, you know," said Saihitei. 

I turned to face him, and raised an eyebrow. "What are YOU wearing??? What's up with the duckie shoes?"

"You don't remember, do you," he said with a small, sad smile. "You don't remember…"

~*~

I have a very nice ceiling in my dorm room. That boardy stuff with the little holes in it, supported by metal things…yeah. That's my ceiling. It's the first thing I see when I wake up in the morning; kinda comforting, I guess. Whenever I have a nightmare and I wake up and see that ceiling, I know everything's okay, and whatever scared me was only a dream.

The dream with the Halloween costumes wasn't _scary_, per se. But I was still _very _glad to discover it hadn't been true.

I don't dream much. Usually, I'm a pretty deep sleeper. So _what _the heck was up with all these wacky ones I'd been having lately?! Chuin and Saihitei and…and Genrou in a priest's suit?! Yikes. I hoped it was just stress, or something. Otherwise I'd think I was slowly going insane.

__

Still, dreaming of Saihitei isn't so bad, is it?

Frowning, I sat up in bed briskly and swung my legs over the side. _Stop it, delusional loser. Don't even go there._

But he said he DREAMED of me!

Ever heard of METAPHOR??? Stupid. And it doesn't matter, anyway. I'll probably never even see him again.

It was then that I realized the implications of having a conversation with _myself_, and decided to stop promptly. Grabbing my toothbrush and other bathroom accessories, I rushed off to the bathroom to grab a shower before they were all full.

Although, come to think of it, I really shouldn't have worried, since ninety-seven percent of college boys bathe about as often as cicadas make an appearance above ground. It's disgusting. One of the worst things that can happen to you in a long lecture class is getting stuck in a seat behind some dude who looks like he's just ducked his head in a bowl full of cooking oil and smells like he's harboring dead animals under his shirt. For pete's sake. Some people shouldn't be allowed to go mommy-less until they're thirty. 

I spent my entire French history class drawing pictures in my notebook. Don't know why I even bothered going, really. Attendance didn't count for any percentage of the grade, and I knew all the stuff we were learning about from other history classes I'd taken in _English_. Ah well. At least I learned some new freakin _vocab_, I guess.

After school, I stopped by Genrou's dorm to say hi. He was blasting his Sum 41 CD, and it took him about ten minutes to hear me knocking.

"Ya coulda just fuckin come in, ya know," he said after opening the door. 

"Well, I'm _polite_, okay?" I exclaimed. "I didn't wanna walk in on you changing clothes, or doing needlepoint, or something."

He narrowed his eyes. "Hah, hah…you're a fucking funny guy, ya know that?"

"I think you need one of those V-chip things installed in your head to stop you from swearing," I commented. "You know. Like in the South Park movie."

"What_ever_. So whazzup? How'd yer day go?"

"It was okay," I shrugged. "Nothing spectacular. Yours?"

"I fuckin _hate _this damn school."

"That well, huh?"

"Shut up. You fuckin asked."

I sat down on the end of his bed. "I thought you were finally getting used to studying. Remember? We were so proud that it only took you _three _years to adjust."

"Ahhhh, it'd be fine, if it weren't for the fuckin _tests_." He shook his head. "They're too damn much to worry about. Not like I ain't got other shit on my mind."

I wanted to ask him what, but bit my tongue, deciding he'd tell me if he felt like it. Genrou wasn't the most sharing of guys; he kept a lot of pretty emotional things to himself, and I wanted to respect that. 

"Well…anyway," he grumbled, scratching his head and wrinkling his nose, "how'd your date go last night?"

__

How the heck did HE know??? "How the heck did _you _know?! It wasn't a date!"

He smirked. "Doukun told me. Shit, man. Never thought I'd see the day when you'd actually say _yes _to that fuckin weirdo."

"It wasn't a _date_," I repeated firmly.

"Did he _pay _for ya?" Genrou pressed.

I felt my cheeks flush. "Well…nnnno. We, ahhh….never actually got to that part."

"What?" he exclaimed. "What the _hell_?! Why the fuck not? What happened?"

"Umm…" I looked at my hands, clasping them together. "I ran out on him."

"_DAMMIT!! _What the hell'd he to do ya?! I'll kick his ass!!" my friend declared fiercely, and I had to smile. It's the best feeling in the world, to know that you have friends who really care about you. Even if their way of showing it is 'kicking the ass' of whoever makes you mad.

"No, Genrou…don't worry about it, kay?" I insisted. "It got taken care of."

"_Fuck _that!! What the hell did he _do_?!"

"Will ya stop _shouting_?" I hissed, wide-eyed. "The people down the hall're gonna think I was _raped_, or something!!"

His eyes grew huge, and he blanched. "Oh, my fuckin God…did he…did…"

"_NOOOO_, you _dork_!!" I cried, throwing a notebook at him. "We were in a _restaurant_!!!!!"

"Well, _fuck_…"

I held up my hand. "V-chip."

Rolling his eyes, he sat down beside me on the bed. "Look," he said, his voice quieter. "Just tell me what the fuck happened, okay? If this guy's gonna be botherin you, I wanna know what to look out for."

So I told him what happened. It was actually kind of a relief to tell someone, even though it really wasn't a big deal. The thought occurred to me that _I _had just _refrained _from prying into Genrou's life, while here I was letting him pretty much delve into mine. Oh well. All my friends knew I couldn't keep stuff hidden for long. That's what made Gen-chan and I different, I guess. His way of dealing with stuff was just ignoring it. I might do that for a while, but eventually, I always told someone what was bothering me. Otherwise, I had a scary feeling that whatever it was would grow and consume me, if I let it. This thing with Chuin was pretty minor and silly, but I was still glad I had a friend who was willing to listen.

Even if he _did _respond with, "That motherfuckin _asshole_!!! I'll rip his fuckin _balls _off!!!"

"Gen-chan, _please_," I said, "it _really _isn't a big deal."

He sighed. "But it fuckin _coulda _been. If he was a fuckin normal guy, he wouldn't've fuckin chased ya."

I shrugged uncomfortably.

"Shit. Do me a favor, will ya, and _don't _go out with any more psychopaths who ya don't even know."

"Don't worry. I tried it and it failed. I'm not gonna try this tactic again."

Looking into my eyes with a smile, he asked, "You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah." I nodded. "Thanks, though."

"Okay, then." He reached out and gave me a hug. I giggled and rolled my eyes, because Genrou is _such _a sap at heart.

Then the door opened, and I abruptly found myself shoved off the bed and onto the floor.

"Ahhhh!!" I exclaimed in surprise and indignation.

"Hey, Kouji!!" Genrou greeted his roommate loudly. "How'd the test go?!!"

"Sucked." Kouji peered down at me. "What the hell's Ryuuen doin on our floor?"

"Testing…out…your _carpeting_," I muttered through clenched teeth, picking myself up.

He blinked. "Uh…_why_?"

"Never mind."

"Well…" Kouji gave me a funny look. "Are ya gonna be able to tear yourself away from the rug next Wednesday night for the Halloween party?"

"Halloween party?" I raised my eyebrows.

"What, ya didn't tell him?" He shot a look at Genrou.

"Fuck," said Genrou.

"It's at Kaen's place," Kouji told me. "Seven o'clock. It's supposed to be a costume party, but she and Doulin and Lanva will probably be the only ones wearin 'em."

Doulin and Lanva were Kaen's two roommates; I'd met Doulin before, but never Lanva. "Okay, sounds cool," I said. "Who else is going?"

"I dunno, a buncha people. Taka was invited, but I dunno if he'll stay the whole time, since Miaka's comin to visit…Doukun, but hell, the kid might stay in all night studyin for all I know…Myojuan and Shouka, shit, a buncha people."

I laughed. "I'll get on Doukun's case, make sure he comes. It's _Halloween_, after all! And I'll pester Taka to bring Miaka, too."

"Yeah. Yer fuckin good at pesterin people," said Genrou.

"Thanks, _bud-dy_," I smiled, patting his head roughly.

"Heyyyy!! Owwwww!!" he whined, batting my hand away.

"God, you're a wimp," I laughed as I collected my things.

"_Yeah_, he is," Kouji agreed.

"_What_???!! I am _not_!!" Genrou exclaimed incredulously.

"I'll see ya later, cutie," I winked, and turned to leave, trying hard not to burst into hysterics at the sight I'd been left of my friend gaping like a fish, his eyes bugging out, his face having turned as red as his hair in under a second. Kouji erupted into gales of laughter as I headed down the hall, and I let out a little giggle. Teasing Genrou was just too much fun.

Realizing my desperate need for sugar and caffeine before returning to my room to begin on my homework, I stopped at the coffee shop for a hazy turtle mocha on the way home. Sighing a bit at the hole it had cut in my money supply (three bucks isn't awful, but it's damn expensive for a teeny cup of espresso, milk, and flavored syrup), I tried to eat the whipped cream off the top of my drink and walk at the same time. However, this required not paying full attention to what was going on in front of me; so, when I sensed someone about to run into me, glimpsed them out of the very, very edge of my eye, I stopped more abruptly than necessary.

"Oops! I'm sorry, I…" I began, looking up…then trailed off.

"Oh, well, hello," said Saihitei, smiling down at me. "Fancy running into you here!"

I blinked, surprised. "Ah! Hi! Wow…yeah, what a koinkydink!!" 

__

WHAT…did you…just…say???!!!! _Oh my God. You complete. And utter. SPAZZ._

"I suppose it's a fairly popular place, though," he went on, mercifully ignoring my inane colloquialism. "I wonder how many college students would flunk out of school if not for coffee." He chuckled, as if he found this incredibly funny.

"I wonder how much money college students would save if there _was_ no coffee," I mumbled.

His brows raised in amusement. "True, true. You do have a point. So, do you want to sit down and finish your drink with me? I shouldn't take too long in the line."

A wave of panic washed over me, and I suddenly felt a bit light-headed. "Um, no, I'm sorry…I'm really sorry, but I gotta go study. I have this huge paper due tomorrow, and an exam on Thursday," I blurted. A blatant lie.

With a slightly disappointed look, he lowered his eyes. "Ah. I see. Well, study before all, eh?"

"Yup. Um, I'll see you around, though, okay?" I made a hasty wave, and hurried out the door.

"Oh, but can I have your email add…" I heard him call out before the door swung shut and cut him off.

~*~

Why the heck did you do that?? He's a nice guy! What are you so afraid of?? __

I don't NEED anyone like that in my life right now. I don't need a boyfriend. I don't. I DON'T. They're complicated. They make things so soapy and melodramatic. I don't need that kind of thing. I have enough going on in my life as it is.

Don't flatter yourself, stupid. Why would he be interested in you anyway?? Just because he was nice to you doesn't mean he wants to be your freakin BOYFRIEND. Just because he didn't wanna beat you up and tie you to a fence when he found out you were a guy doesn't mean he even goes that way.

I needed to stop thinking about this. 

Sitting down at the computer (back in my room at last), I logged into my email, let out a mental morbid scream, and deleted no less than _five _messages from Chuin without opening them. 

__

If I were smart, I'd LET Genrou kill him._ I wonder how much restraining orders cost._

But there, at the end, was an email from Miaka, and my mood lifted immediately. I adored Taka's cheery little girlfriend. She was like a younger sister to me; I'd known her since high school, when she and Taka had started going out. Smiling at my monitor, I opened the email and read it.

Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2001 14:06:27 –0500 (CDT)  
From: Miakabaka@students.muc.perry.edu   
To: rychou1@students.allenby.edu   
Subject: Hi hi hi!! ^_^ Party time!

Hi, Ryuu-chan!! Gee, I haven't talked to you for a loooooong time! ;_; I miss you! But I'm coming to see Taka tomorrow for Halloween, because all my friends are down there! Yui-chan's coming, too, since Tetsuya's out of town for some interview or something. So we're gonna have a party! ^_^ I know Taka said that there's another one going on, but we're going to that one, don't worry. This one is more of an After-The-Real-Party thing. ^_^ It's only for a few people, so please don't invite anyone else (I know you wouldn't! You're too nice to do that……riiiiiiiiight? ^_^). It's a sleepover! At Taka's apartment. He said everyone could use his shower and stuff in the morning, but you live right across the street anyway, so it shouldn't be a big deal. I hope you can come!! **big eyes** I heard you don't have any classes until noon, anyway, har har har. -_-() Lucky.

Anyway, I have to go because I have to write to some other people. ^_^ Taka says I'm weird because I don't just send it to a bunch of people at once, but don't you think it's nicer when it's personalized like this? That's why I'm sending out the invitations from all the way over here, when he's the one having the party. -_-() He said if I wanted to send them out one at a time, then I had to do them all. **sigh** But I'm rambling, so I'm gonna go now. I hope you have a good day! Byeeeeee!!!

Love,

~*~Miaka~*~ @------- (Isn't that cool?? It's a rose!)

Shaking my head and laughing quietly to myself, I sent my reply:

Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2001 16:13:05 –0500 (CDT)  
From: rychou1@students.allenby.edu  
To: Miakabaka@students.muc.perry.edu   
Subject: Bakabakabaka!! **Insert Chicken Noises**

Miaka-channnnn!!!!! **glomp** I miss you, too!! Don't think I've seen ya since summer. Of course I'll come to your Party Sequel. ^_^ How hard did you have to twist Taka-chan's arm to let you have it, huh??? He's very protective of that apartment. Almost psychotically so. ~.^;; But we won't mess it up…too much. Bwah hah hah. ^_^

Can't wait to see you! 

~Ryuuen

PS. Ummmm….are you, ah, DRIVING down??….~.^;; 

__

Well, there we go, I thought triumphantly as I sent the message. _Two parties tomorrow. That's enough to take your mind off of how annoying life can be sometimes._

But then, the prospect of two Halloween parties brought about another problem: I was broke, and possessed little in the way of clothing besides jeans, sweatshirts, and socks. 

How the heck was I gonna find a costume???

TBC…

^_^

A tad less sappy this time. ^_^ Hope you guys liked it. Oh, and Tamakins, if you're reading, don't worry!! I don't think you're prejudiced!! I was just saying that Ryuu-chan being gay is only an interpretation. ^_^ Not written in stone, not gospel, or anything. ^_^ No problemo!


	4. Oh, God...Not Again.

****

Warnings: Yes, more Tasuki-language.

****

Notes: Is this story really going anywhere? Well, kinda… Thanks again to Kaze-chan for reading the first section and liking it. ^_^ Oooh, guess what???!!! I ordered a wallscroll!!! YES!! Animecastle.com is the best!!! It's with the picture of Nuriko with the spear thingy from the box of Video #10. **dances happily** Hmm, okay, well…on with the story…

****

ANOTHER STORY

Chapter Four:

Oh God…Not Again.

Doukun picked me up at 6:30 for the party. He had a really old blue Camry with a twisted steering wheel left over from a run-in with an errant left-hand passer, which he'd been meaning to get fixed for about three months. But ever since school started, he'd had his nose buried so deeply in a history textbook that he couldn't even tear himself away to walk down three flights of stairs to the cafeteria for lunch, let alone drive out to the auto shop. The fact that I'd actually convinced him to come out to the party earned me another notch for my belt. 

He gave me a grin as I jumped into the front seat. "Hi!"

"Whazzup?" I replied, smiling back. "Look! I'm wearing my Halloween socks!"

With a laugh, he started off down the street. "Very nice. I'm gonna stop at The Mansion on the way so I can get a costume; is that all right with you?"

"NO! You must convey me directly to the party," I said imperially, pointing straight ahead and lifting my nose in the air."

"Good, I didn't _think _you'd mind," he nodded. "Do you need to get anything?"

"Nope. I'm wearing my costume. Well, most of it."

Risking a glimpse in my direction, Doukun raised an eyebrow. "You are?"

"Sure." Apart from my spiffy socks, I was wearing my oldest, dirtiest red T-shirt, my oldest, dirtiest pair of jeans, a Mardi Gras necklace, and had brushed my hair out so it was kinda messy and stuck up in parts.

"What are you? A street punk? A homeless person?" he asked intelligently.

I burst out laughing. "Not quite!"

"Then what _are _you?"

"Here," I said, still laughing, and reached in my bag for the finishing touch: a pair of vampire fangs they'd been handing out for free in the Student Union. Putting them in my mouth, I mumbled around them, "Ow an oo ess?"

He gave me a look that plainly said he thought I was completely nuts.

I removed my plastic dental implants, since they made it awfully hard for me to talk. "I'm Genrou!!!" I exclaimed. "_Duh_!!"

Now it was _his _turn to laugh. "Oh, my God…that's _terrific_!"

"I couldn't think of anything to be, but when I saw they were giving these things away…" I tossed the fangs back into my bag. "It would be better if I could dye my hair orange, but I don't have enough money for that kind of thing."

"I think it would be far too disturbing to see you with orange hair."

"True. So what're ya gonna buy at The Mansion?" 

"Oh, just cat ears, or something akin to that," he said. (The Mansion was a seasonal store set up at a local drug store, selling Halloween costumes and stuff but just for the month of October. That kind of thing. I think every town must have one.) "I don't have much to spend, either. But Kaen would be flustered if I didn't wear _something_."

"Are you g…." I bit my tongue. I was _going _to ask him if he was going to Taka's after Kaen's, but remembered what Miaka had said about not inviting anyone else. Although I was pretty sure Doukun would've been invited, I didn't want to risk the small chance that he might not have been, and wind up hurting his feelings.

"Sorry?" he said.

"Are you gonna pull in, or what?" I amended, nodding toward the driveway to the store. "It's right there; you're gonna miss it."

Doukun took a _very _sharp right turn into the parking lot—made sharper because of the twisted steering wheel—and skidded into an empty place. I jerked back and forth in my seat as we stopped abruptly, rolling my eyes. The guy was, surprisingly, kind of a daredevil when it came to driving; we'd chalked it up to the fact that he was in such a rush to get from one place to another and do something _productive_, that he couldn't _help _but speed from time to time. But in any event, I shouldn't complain; compared to Genrou, Doukun drove like a ninety-year-old lady. Genrou would eat sandwiches and read the lyrics to the songs on his CDs _while driving_, and not infrequently, both his hands were occupied with other things _besides the wheel_. Driving with Genrou made one into a complete nervous wreck. Unfortunately, since he had a car and I did not, I wound up his passenger more often than I would have liked.

My friend picked out a cat ears-plus-tail set, and we were off again, arriving at the party fashionably late. But, as it turned out, we were the first people there.

"Welcome to the Grand Bash," said Kaen in a monotone as she ushered us through the door. She was dressed as a vampire, with a flowing, Gothic black dress and cape, pasty white makeup on her face, and red around her eyes. "Please. Don't get crushed in the crowd."

Doulin was sitting on the sofa in front of the TV in a knight's costume, looking bored. "Is that the pizza guy?" she asked, glued to the screen.

"Nahh, not as exciting," Kaen teased.

"Oh, _thanks_," I exlaimed, swatting her; but I knew she was kidding.

"Well, sit down and have some snacks," our hostess invited us. "Hopefully others should be arriving shortly…"

"Aaaaaaaaand who's _this_?" came a voice at my shoulder.

Slightly startled, I turned and blinked at a guy with longish, spiky white hair.

"You one of Kaen's friends?" he said suavely. "Why haven't I ever seen you before? I swear, she never brings the pretty ones home…"

"That's Ryuuen, dear," called Doulin from the couch. "He's male."

The man looked at me blankly for a moment. 

I gave him a closed-mouthed smile and raised my eyebrows.

"Excuse me," he muttered, and headed off down the hall toward the bedrooms.

Kaen laughed. "Sorry about that; Lanva'll go after anything with eyelashes. It's not the first time it's happened."

"I should never have taken him to the Union Drag Show," Doulin lamented. "I should've known he wouldn't get it."

"Goodness," commented Doukun. "Tremendous idea for a joke, though."

She tossed mini candy bars at us. "Eat something. Lots of something. We didn't get a _single _trick-or-treater this year. It really stinks living in an apartment on Halloween."

"And how come you two aren't dressed up?" Kaen said dangerously, placing her hands on her hips.

Quickly, Doukun donned his ears and I stuck my fangs in my mouth, and we both spread our arms.

"Taa-daaaaaaa," we both announced.

The tall girl shook her head at us. "Weak. Very weak. Come _on_, Doukun; a _cat_? You of all people, I would've thought, could come up with something more creative. And Ryuu-chan, _really_. That's just pathetic."

I spat my teeth out. "But I'm Genrou!" I defended myself. "I'm Genrou!! See?" Replacing the fangs, I started trying to mutter nasty words around them.

Her expression changed. "Ah, jeez…you are too _cute_!!"

"Wait till you see his socks," Doukun put in.

~*~

The next to arrive were Myojuan and Shouka. Myojuan was one of Doukun's good friends; a big, quiet guy with black hair, pre-med. Shouka, his girlfriend, was one of the nicest girls I knew. She didn't tease, like Kaen and Doulin—not that I minded when they did—but Shouka was just…_sweet_. She and Myojuan had been together longer than Taka and Miaka, which was saying something. After them came a bunch of people I didn't know. 

Doulin and I played video games and ate oddly-flavored Doritos (what was up with all these funky new kinds, anyway? Aren't Nacho Cheese and Ranch _enough_, for God's sake?!) while the others talked and drank. Personally, I never drank much. I didn't really like the taste. I'd never been drunk, but knew for a fact that I'd have an incredibly low tolerance because I was smaller than most guys…lots of girls, too, come to think of it. And _someone_ had to stay alert enough to help people to the bathroom if they had to throw up. Besides, watching drunk people was funny. At Kouji's twenty-first birthday party, he and Genrou had had so much to drink that they'd started singing the greatest hits of Britney Spears. Miaka and I had gotten lots of nice blackmail photos of that particular event.

Miaka got there (with Taka) around 8:30, and I abandoned the Play Station to run up and hug her.

"Ryuu-chan!" she cried in delight, and we clasped hands and started jumping up and down.

"Miaka-chan!"

"I'm so glad to _see _you!!"

"I've missed you, I'm so happy you came!"

"Yaaaaay!!!!"  
"Dammit, yer blockin the fuckin door!" growled Gen-chan's voice.

Miaka whirled around and jumped on him. "_Gen-chan_!! I've missed you, toooooo!!!"

His face flushed. 

"Hi, you guys!" cried Kaen, hustling to the door. "Glad you finally decided to come!"

"Sorry, I don't have a costume," said Miaka apologetically. "We came right over as soon as I got here."

"That's okay, I've given up," our hostess replied with a defeated look. "Honestly; no one ever gets into the spirit of Halloween anymore."

"Genrou and I are in _perfect _costumes," Kouji protested. "We're college students."

"I'm ignoring you," said Kaen, and headed to the kitchen.

"Fuckin touchy," muttered Genrou.

"Oh! I almost forgot," Miaka said, grabbing a blue-haired guy standing beside her by the arm. (I hadn't even noticed him in my excitement upon seeing Miaka again.) "This is Houjun! He goes to school at Perry with me!"

The man wore a kind smile; he was taller than I was (which didn't take much), and stuck out his hand for me to shake.

"Nice to meet you! I'm Ryuuen. How'd you get your bangs to stick up like that?"

He grinned. "It just kinda does it naturally, I guess."

"It's not just for Halloween, then?"

"Unfortunately not."

I turned back to Miaka, remembering something suddenly. "Wasn't Yui-chan supposed to come with you, too?"

"Well, Tetsuya didn't have to go to his thing after all, so she decided to stay with him," Miaka explained. "Which is fine, I guess. They haven't had a chance to be together for the longest time. And I don't blame them for not wanting to drive all the way over here…Hey! Is that that new flavor of Doritos over there?…"

~*~

We stayed at Kaen's until the food was gone: about half an hour more, with Miaka there and hungry. I guess I was kinda glad to leave early, since the party looked like it might be taking a turn for the rowdy sometime in the near future; Doulin assured me she'd keep things in control, though, and I believed her. She came off as innocent and girly, but she was a pretty tough girl underneath all the hair. From what I'd seen of Lanva, she probably _had _to be.

Genrou had come in Kouji's car, and since Kouji had expressed a desire to stay, our red-headed friend hopped into the car with me and Doukun, sulking in the back seat when I called shotgun before him.

"Will you stop being such a baby?" I called back to him.

"Fuckin _cheap_," he muttered. "Doukun always liked you better."

"I don't discriminate," Doukun corrected. "You're just mad because Ryuuen gets to work the radio."

With an evil grin, I remembered a cassette I had in my bag, fumbled to find it, and popped it in the tape deck. Presently, Doukun and I were singing along to 'The Lion King' while Genrou glowered.

"Cheer up, Gen-chan; '_Caaaan't you feeeeeel the loooooove toniiiiiiiiight_???'" I sang dramatically, twisting in my seat to direct the musical question at him.

"Fuckin cartoon," he growled.

"Hey, look! There are some of your tough and macho friends!" I lied, but pointed at the street nonetheless. Rolling my window down, I turned up the volume on the radio until the car almost vibrated from the force of the music and lyrics of Elton John and Tim Rice. Doukun cracked up in the driver's seat. Genrou narrowed his eyes and sank down in his own seat to hide himself from passers-by. 

After only a few seconds, I turned the tape off and laughed. "Okay, okay…sorry, Gen-chan. But you set yourself up for it; it's just so _easy_."

No response.

"Gen-chan?"

"….."

"Oh, come _on_, you're not talking to me now?" I turned again, worried that, for some reason, he might really be mad. I hated it when people were mad at me for real; it always made me panicky. But the words of apology died on my lips as Genrou reached forward and calmly smooshed a cupcake against my forehead.

I blinked.

"Gotcha. Heh," he said with a satisfied little smile.

"Gen-_channnnnn_!" I exclaimed, mildly astounded and nearly laughing, as I peeled the thing from my face and wound up with a fistful of orange frosting. "Where the heck did you even _get _this??"

"Well, I took it from the fuckin _party_, genius," he said. "Stowed it away so Miaka couldn't fuckin eat it. I was gonna save it for later, but this was just too fuckin great an opportunity."

"Excuse me," said Doukun sternly, "what have I told you guys about having food in my car? My dad will _massacre _me if it's defiled."

"Ya know, it's a goddamn _car_, not a fuckin _church_," Genrou said. "Ya can't fuckin '_defile_' a car…ya 'junk it up', 'crap it up', 'spill shit in it'…"

"Only you could employ 'fucking' and 'church' in the same sentence," Doukun replied, shaking his head. "Ryuuen, please be careful not to get any food on the seat, okay?"

"Of course," I agreed, and smacked my frosting-covered hand gently down on his nose.

"_Ryuuen_!!" he cried in shock as Genrou died laughing in the back seat. "What did I just _say_?"

"I didn't _get _it on the seat!" I defended myself innocently.

"I'm _driving_, you know!"

"Really? You're kidding."

"And I can't wipe it off, because…I'd get it all over the wheel…" he giggled. "Oh, good lord, you two…it's like having four-year-old children sometimes…" The nasal tone he used, due to the fact that he was trying to avoid inhaling the sugary substance that coated his nose, made us laugh even harder. 

When we got to Taka's (to which Doukun _had _been invited, as I'd thought), I deposited the actual cake part of the cupcake down the back of Genrou's shirt and patted him hard on the back.

He stared at me and cocked an eyebrow.

"Hi," I said cheerfully.

"Fuck you," he replied, and went to change shirts.

After the three of us had cleaned up a bit (I actually had to wash my hair in the bathtub to get the frosting out), we went to sit and talk with Miaka, Taka, and Houjun.

"Well, almost everyone's here," said Miaka happily. "Myojuan's coming a little late, since he wanted to spend a little more time with Shouka before heading over."

"Who else did you invite?" Doukun asked.

"Just another friend of mine," said Taka. "I dunno if you guys know him or not. He's Myojuan's age; he's really cool. Doesn't know a lot of people, though, so I thought I'd introduce him to some of my friends."

"Good, so I won't be the only stranger here," Houjun joked with a smile.

"Ohhhhh, you're not a stranger!" Miaka insisted, hugging him around the neck. "You'll get to know everyone, don't worry!"

A gentle knock on the door announced the arrival of a guest.

"That's probably him," said Taka, and went to let whoever it was in. 

"You see how normal people _knock_?" I said to Genrou. "I know it's a difficult approach, but I can teach y…"

When Taka's friend followed him into the little den, I trailed off in surprise. 

__

Oh, God…not again.

"Guys, this is Saihitei," Taka introduced the familiar tall, dark-haired man. "Saihitei, this is Genrou, Doukun, Ryuuen, and Houjun. Have you met Miaka? That's Miaka."

Saihitei greeted us politely, and his smile widened the slightest bit when his eyes fell upon me. I'm sure I must have gone red to my roots.

"Yo," muttered Genrou, elbowing me sharply in the side. "You can pick yer fuckin jaw off the floor now…"

TBC…

^_^ 


	5. Why Me?

****

Disclaimers: Mouse-chan's Lawyer: My client does not own, and never _will _own, anything that has to do with the characters listed below. Any attempt to sue my client will result in my client laughing directly into your face and showing you her extremely empty bank account. The universities listed below are, likewise, fictitious. Do not attempt to contact and/or enroll in the universities listed below. Any attempt to do so will result in my client slapping you in the face and pointing you in the direction of this disclaimer, which plainly states that the universities listed below do not, in fact, exist.

****

Warnings: Tasuki language, but not as much as in previous chapters. ^_^ Sappy. But Kaze-chan says it's not too bad. ^_^

Notes: I really like writing this story, even though it's kinda sappy! ^_^ As always, thanks to my pal and editor Kaze-chan for assuring me this chapter was okay to post. ^_^ And thanks to my French professor for giving me my French take-home final exam a few days early, so I could start procrastinating early by writing more fan fiction. ^_^ And of course, thank you, whoever's reading this! I hope you like it! ^_^ ****

ANOTHER STORY

Chapter Five:

Why Me?

"_Taka_!" exclaimed Miaka, jumping to her feet. "Of _course_ I know him; of _course _I do!" She ran over to Saihitei and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I've missed you…I've missed you so much!" He smiled and hugged her back, his hair falling down over his face as he bent his head.

__

Gahhh? MIAKA knows him??? TAKA knows him, too??!!

"Ryuuen! Dude!" Genrou nudged me again, muttering under his breath. "Fuckin stop it, man."

With a click, I snapped my jaw shut, the _slightest bit _overwhelmed with the situation. As Saihitei turned to hang up his coat, I twisted in the couch and slumped down until most of my legs were hanging off the end, hugging myself around the middle and wondering why the _hell _I couldn't escape this guy. I'd been looking forward to a nice evening with friends, no awkwardness, no nothing. But now, no matter how hard I tried, I wouldn't be able to see Saihitei as just a friend. There'd always be the jacket thing, and the coffee thing, and, oh, the fact that he'd _saved _me from potential trauma like I was some sort of damsel in distress. No matter how hard I tried, the awful possibility that he might be interested in me _like that_ always hung in the back of my mind. 

"You go have a seat by Ryuuen," Miaka instructed Saihitei when their tender moment had ended. _Gee, THANKS, Miaka_. "Taka and I are gonna go make some snacks; Doukun, will you open the door when Myojuan gets here, please?"

"_MORE _snacks?!" Genrou groaned as he flopped back in his seat. "We just _came _from a fuckin _party _where she fuckin ate all the _food_!!!"

"Hello, again," said Saihitei as he slid down beside me. "This is a surprise, isn't it?"

I forced myself to smile, and hoped it was half-believable. "Sure is! That's so weird that you know Taka and Miaka; I've known them since we were in high school!"

"Taka says you just transferred here; did you ever go to Perry?" Houjun asked curiously. "You look _really _familiar for some reason."

"No, I transferred from Johnstown University," said Saihitei. "But I'm often told I look familiar. Perhaps you're confusing me with the young man from that movie? The one all the ladies are constantly fawning over?" He chuckled.

__

Ladies. He said ladies. He likes ladies. Should I be relieved? I'm relieved. Nothing to worry about, if he likes…

"Fuckin ego much?" Genrou mumbled. 

"How do you know _Ryuuen_?" Doukun inquired.

I opened my mouth to tell him, but found that I didn't really want to. The only person I'd told about the Chuin thing was Genrou, and for some reason, I'd left out Saihitei's role in the matter…I don't know why, that's just how it happened. Genrou was so busy cursing at Chuin that he probably wouldn't have noticed, anyway.

"We met in the park, only a few days ago," Saihitei answered. "My…my notes were blowing away, and he helped me to collect them."

"Awwwwww!!!!" Genrou cooed, lacing an elbow around my neck. Everyone laughed a little, especially since I was blushing intensely…_again_. The conversation shifted after that, and I found myself looking briefly up at Saihitei, hoping to catch his eye and show him some kind of thank you for not bringing up what had happened that night. 

He did catch my eye, and gave me a slight wink that was almost invisible before returning to the discussion.

Blinking rapidly for a moment, I focused on the coffee table and sighed internally. I didn't _dislike _him. He was nice. I was actually beginning to feel better about him now that he'd mentioned "ladies," even though I knew that didn't really mean _anything _at all. _So he's just trying to be friendly. Give him a break and stop being so paranoid._

Just a few minutes later, there was a knock on the door; since Doukun was in the middle of explaining something complicated, I told him to stay put and went to answer it. It was Myojuan, as we'd been expecting; he greeted me kindly, and wiped off his shoes. I headed to the kitchen to tell Miaka he was here.

"…Exciting? We're finally all going to be together again!" 

Miaka's voice.

I don't know what made me stop in the hallway outside the door to the kitchen, but I did. But something about what I'd just heard seemed strange. "Together _again_?" I'd barely even met two of the people here! Did she mean just herself and Taka and Saihitei? 

"But we agreed…we agreed we're not going to tell them," Taka responded quietly, so that I almost couldn't hear them. "It'd be too much all at once. In fact, I'm not sure we should tell them at all…"

"I know," sighed Miaka. "Ahhh, watch it, the pizza bites!!! ….But even if they don't remember, it's nice to have them here…it makes me feel…_complete_, somehow."

"Is Hotohori still planning on telling Nuriko the truth?"

"I don't know. But we promised we'd leave it up to him, remember."

__

Nuriko. There's that name again. The name in my dream.

"I remember. I wish I knew how _he _does."

"I do, too. It _is _strange, that none of them should remember except for him. But it must serve some purpose, somehow, don't you think?"

Frowning, I decided to interrupt their conversation before I heard anything more that confused me. They were discussing people who I didn't know, after all, despite the name Nuriko, which I would have loved to ask them about; but as I'd only overheard it through eavesdropping, I couldn't very well. So I swung cheerfully through the door and announced, "Hey, you guys! Myojuan just got here."

"Oh, _good_!" said Miaka. "Thanks, Ryuu-chan…hey, will you help me carry some of this stuff out there?"

"Sure," I said. No sooner had the words left my mouth than I was laden down with about five large bowls full of assorted chips, balancing a jar of salsa and a serving spoon on my head.

"Don't drop anything," Taka cautioned me, "or _you'll _be the one to vacuum it up."

"Has it occurred to either of you that I'm not a circus performer?" I asked blandly.

"Oh, Taka…at least get the _door _for him, won't you?" Miaka instructed.

~*~

Once all of us were settled in the den—I was squished between Genrou and Saihitei on the couch, with Doukun on Genrou's other side and Houjun on Saihitei's other side—Taka knelt in front of the VCR and started going though videos. 

"Since it's Halloween, we thought a scary movie might be fun," he said, "but if everyone wants to watch something else, that's cool…So, let's see, we have… 'The Exorcist…'"

"No no no," I said quickly, remembering my Gen-chan-in-Priest-Robes dream. "Anything but that."

"Oooookay then," said Taka. "Then there's 'Night of the Living Dead,' 'The Sixth Sense,' 'Silence of the Lambs,' 'The Shining,' and… 'Anastasia.'"

"ANASTASIA!!!" Miaka cried in jubilation, bouncing in her chair.

We all turned as if one to stare at her skeptically.

"…_What_?" she demanded, her eyes wide. "It's _good_!"

"So, 'The Sixth Sense' okay with everyone?" Taka slipped the said video out of its case.

Miaka sighed loudly. "_Boys_."

I'd seen the movie before—I think everyone had, though I couldn't vouch for Houjun or Saihitei—but I liked it, and it was better than any of the alternatives. 'Night of the Living Dead' was possibly my least favorite movie of all time (except for 'Duel'… but that's another story altogether), and the others…they were so-so. But it was always fun watching the kid in 'The Sixth Sense.' Man, that kid could act! I wasn't very theatrical, myself; I was in a few plays in high school, but hadn't been very good in any of them, so I was nowhere near being a qualified judge of acting ability. But no one could deny that Sixth Sense Kid was awesome.

I would have enjoyed the movie much, much more, however, if Saihitei hadn't been staring at me out of the corner of his eye throughout almost the whole thing.

I knew he was doing it; it was just one of those feelings you get, that someone's watching you. But I forced myself to ignore him and stare at the TV, not wanting to embarrass both of us by catching him in the act. 

__

Oh, NO…he DOES like me. He DOES. What am I gonna do NOW??? I actually started to feel sick. I tried to ignore that, as well, but eventually, it got to me—the sight of Miaka gulping down pizza bites right across from me didn't really serve to quiet my stomach—and had to excuse myself to the bathroom.

Gripping the sides of the sink, I waited for the nausea to pass; my breath was coming in pants, my head spinning the slightest bit. The mirror showed me an image of an exhausted-looking girly boy, dark smudges under the too-large eyes made more dramatic by the sudden pallor to my skin. The dark smudges were nothing new; _all _college students had them, and those who didn't had probably just covered them with makeup, or something. But that didn't change the fact that they made me look hideous. 

__

That was a pretty strong physical reaction ya had there, kiddo. Think you're really sick? Too many funky-flavored Doritos? Or is it really just Saihitei? If it's just him, you're a real spazz…and you've got serious attachment problems.

I do NOT. Just because I'm happy without BEING "attached…"

"Ryuuen?" 

A slight knock on the door. 

__

NOW look, you made Miaka worry.

"Are you okay? Do you need anything?" 

"Um…I'm fine," I called, smoothing my hair down and opening the door. "I'm okay. Just felt a little weird for a minute."

Her brow furrowed in concern. "Weird? You want some Tylenol, or something?"

"No, I think I'll be okay," I said.

Reaching up, she brushed my bangs back and felt my forehead, pursing her lips in concentration. She looked so much like my mom that I giggled. "You look really tired, Ryuu-chan," she informed me. "Maybe you should just go home and sleep, huh? Taka says you don't sleep enough, and we're not gonna do much of it here."

__

Who needs parents when you've got Miaka and Taka? "I'll be fine," I assured her again, although my head was telling me differently. "I really wanna be here with you guys!" _Except maybe for the new guy who LIKES ME_. "I don't wanna ruin the party."

"Ryuu-chan," said Miaka firmly, "while you are really quite indispensable as a friend, I think it's safe to say that it _is _possible to continue the party without you."

I sighed.

"Go home and get some rest."

"I was feeling _fine _just a _while _ago," I whined, my shoulders slumping in defeat.

Pouting dramatically, she grabbed my hand and squeezed it. "I know, Ryuu-chan. Poor you. But I promise, even though we'll miss you, you won't ruin the party. And I'll be here the whole weekend! We can hang out lots!"

"Okay. I feel like such a wimp," I muttered. I knew she was right, though. And I certainly _wasn't _sad that I'd be evading Saihitei and his hidden glances for the rest of the night. "You promise, though? We'll hang out some more this weekend? And you won't just have Miaka/Taka Time the whole time you're here?"

"Of _course _I promise! I love you every bit as much as I love Taka, even though the type of love might be a little different."

I smiled sheepishly. "Can I make a subdued exit? I don't wanna make a big deal of not feeling good…"

"Sure. Here, go wait by the door; I'll get someone to walk you home."

"Oh, it's just across the street, I'm sure I…" I began, but she had already flitted away, and I could do nothing but wait. 

Now, it would've made perfect sense for her to have gotten _Genrou _or _Doukun _to walk home with me, since I actually _knew _them. But _no_. _OH _no. _Who _does she send?? Freakin _Saihitei_.

"Are you ill?" he inquired, appearing in front of me, frowning.

__

Mother of God. If I didn't know any better, between this and the seating on the damn sofa, I'd think Miaka were trying to set us up, or something.

"_Yes_," I replied, the sick feeling having returned with him.

__

It really IS him that's making you queasy, isn't it?? God…you are SUCH a freak.

"Miaka says I should walk you…"

"Um…yeah," I interrupted quietly, turning the doorknob. "Thank you."

We walked down the stairs and out into the street without saying anything else, and made the arduous trek _across the road_ to my dorm. Like I _really _couldn't have made it by myself. Stupid Miaka.

For whatever reason, there weren't a lot of people out and about besides us. They were probably all out drinking, or watching the 'Halloween' marathon on TV. It was only a little after midnight, so the parties would still be going…except for mine, that is. And it was all Saihitei's fault. What a loser. He didn't even _know _me, and he had to waltz in and ruin my Halloween. 

__

I hate boys.

Fumbling for my key as we reached the door, I began muttering something along the line of "Thanks" to my escort, hoping he'd leave without saying anything. But he cleared his throat and said, "Ryuuen…may I ask you a question?"

__

NO!! Just SHUT UP!!

I lowered my arm and sighed, then turned to him, head down. "Sure," I whispered.

There was a slight pause as he appeared to gather his thoughts. "Do I…do I make you…_uncomfortable_?" A note of incredulity tinged his voice, as if the thought were, among other things, bizarre. 

__

That QUESTION makes me uncomfortable. What the heck do I say? Truth or tact? Truth or tact? Truth or tact?

"Um…" I stuffed my hands in the pouch of my sweatshirt. "A little, I guess."

Another moment of silence.

"I don't mean to," he assured me quietly.

I felt bad, because I really didn't want to hurt his feelings. But maybe…maybe the truth was what he needed to hear. I'd never been honest with Chuin about how I felt, and now the prospects of our ever just being "friends" were pretty darn low. I _liked _Saihitei, and thought a platonic friendship would be nice, if I just had the guts to tell him once and for all that I wasn't interested in anything else. My headache chose that moment to abate the slightest bit, which I took as sign enough for me to proceed.

"I…" I began, still not looking at him. "I'm just not used to, you know…" _Come on, look at him, it won't kill ya_. After a moment of hesitation, I raised my eyes to meet his. "I get the feeling that…you like me." Immediately after saying the words, I was gripped with horror. _What if I was wrong?? What if he really DOESN'T like me, and I was just being paranoid and misread his actions and AAAHHHHH, what have I done????!!!_

But he smiled kindly. "You mean, in a romantic sense?" I suppose the answer to that was obvious enough, because he plunged on without waiting for a reply. "Well, I admit, I do find myself strangely drawn to you."

"You don't know me, though," I mumbled. "And…it's kinda scary."

A flicker of surprise crept across his face.

"I guess what I mean to say is…I'd be happy to be your friend. But…" I shook my head. "I'm not really in the market for anything else. It's not just because we just met. I'd probably feel the same way if we'd known each other for a thousand years. It's just not something I want right now, with _anyone_." _Don't hate me_. "Is…that okay?"

He looked slightly confused. He didn't strike me as the type that would've been turned down a lot, especially in the dating sphere. "O-of course," he said finally. "Of _course _it's okay. I suppose I understand, in a way…I suppose it makes sense."

I blinked. "What…"

"I hope this doesn't get in the way of a friendship," he said seriously. "Now that I know you know Taka, I expect we'll be seeing quite a bit of each other."

__

Friendship. YES. I smiled. "It won't get in the way," I promised. "I won't let it."

"Neither will I," he said with a graceful nod. "I…I'm glad we had this talk."

"Me, too," I agreed. _I should be honest more often!! It wasn't so bad! _

"W-well…" Saihitei made a quick gesture toward Taka's apartment. "I'm going to return to the party…I'm sorry you can't stay."

"I'm actually feeling a little better, I guess," I told him, "but Miaka would rant if I went back. And I _am _tired."

"You look it."

"Why, thanks." I raised an eyebrow. He smiled again. "So, I'll…I'll see you around, huh?"

"Definitely." And with a little wave, he was off.

I watched him go, and felt a tiny grumble in my stomach…not the hungry kind, but the 'Oh-crap-I've-got-the-flu' kind. My mouth tightening in discomfort, I made my way into the dorm and took the elevator up to my room on the fourth floor—usually I didn't take the elevator and made fun of people who did, considering it pretty lazy, but in this case, I made an exception. Once safely inside my room, I collapsed on my back on the bed and wondered why the heck I was feeling squeamish again. 

__

AM I really sick?? Because I got the whole thing with Saihitei sorted out! And he took it well, too; what a great guy! And he's got nice eyes, too. I don't think I've ever seen eyes that color before. And he was really polite about the whole thing, which was sweet. What a gr…

…Wait a minute…

"Oh, _nooooo_," I moaned in anguish, grabbing a pillow and holding it over my face.

__

This isn't supposed to happen, goddammit!!

"No, no, no, no, nooooo…."

But it was too late. _Waaaaaaay_ too late. And the stupid, accursed epiphany I'd had would certainly not go away.

I didn't feel sick because Saihitei liked _me_.

I felt sick because _I _liked _him_. 

TBC…

**winces** Questions? Comments? Polite criticism? 


	6. Something Unexpected...

****

Disclaimer: Once upon a time, there was a girl named Mouse-chan who wished with all her heart that she could own Fushigi Yuugi. But she couldn't, and was sad. The End.

****

Warnings: More Tasuki language than last time. Bad jokes. Slap-happiness. Shounen ai. ( Eeeheee!! ^_^.n ) And saaaaaaaaaap. Kinda.

****

Notes: Everyone who's reviewed, thank you, thank you, thank you! ^_^n No, seriously…I appreciate it to no end. ^_^ And even if you don't leave reviews, thanks for reading my story! And thank you, Kaze-chan, for really helping me out with this chapter. ^_^ You rock. OOH! And I got my wall scroll!! **cheers** Yay! Ahemahemahem… well, anyway…. ~.^;; Have fun, everybody! Happy Holidays! (The Fellowship of the Ring comes out in under two weeks! GAHH!!)

****

ANOTHER STORY

Chapter Six:

Something Unexpected…

Needless to say, this recent development did _NOT _fit into my plans.

How could I have let this happen?! After that whole speech I'd given about Being Single!!! I wanted to slap myself around a bit, but figured that _probably _wasn't the best way to approach the situation… But it didn't change anything, really, except for the fact that I now considered myself even more of an idiot than before. So I _liked _him. That didn't mean I had to tell him. That didn't mean _anything_. I still wanted to be alone.

__

I don't need him. I don't need anyone.

There was, after all, a very big difference between _having a crush _on someone and _wanting to date _him. 

__

Just wait, just wait…He'll find someone else. He'll find someone else and your problems will be over. You won't feel guilty, because he'll be happy…and you'll…do what you always do. 

Which is…?

Be his friend.

I liked my friends. Friendship is _way_ more important than love, if you ask me. There's less…_pressure_. True, I'm not the best guy to give an opinion on the subject, never having _been _in love before. Well, anyway.

__

Maybe if you don't see him anymore, you'll forget about him.

But I couldn't do that. I'd already promised I wouldn't let it come between us.

__

But it's different now. It's not him that has the problem. It's YOU.

And it seemed like the only way to fix things…

~*~

I was minding my own business, pondering the sidewalk in front of me on my way to class the following day, when I was suddenly jumped upon from behind, lost my balance, and tumbled into the grass.

"Ryuu-chan!!" Miaka exclaimed cheerfully, now sitting on my back.

Rolling over to force her off, I examined the new green stains on my knees. "Can't you say hello like a _normal_ person?"

"I don't think so," she giggled. "Did you sleep well? Hey, are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, thanks…" It wasn't a lie; after deciding to avoid Saihitei forever, I'd felt surprisingly at peace, had had a good night's sleep, and hadn't felt sick ever since. "Why? Did _you _sleep well?"

"Hehehehehe…" She shot me a slightly scary, overly-cheerful grin.

"Oh, _no_, Miaka…you stayed up _all night_, didn't you," I stated.

She laughed again, almost maniacally. "Hee hee, I'm _so _slap-happy!! I scared Taka this morning when I laughed too hard at one of Gen-chan's stupid jokes."

"Where _is _Taka?"

"He's over there, pretending he doesn't know me." I followed her quick gesture across the street, where Taka was standing by a tree regarding me with sympathetic eyes. I waved to him weakly.

"Hey, ahh…Miaka…"

"Wanna hear the joke?!"

I sighed. "Sure."

"Okay…hehehe… 'Where does the general keep his armies?'"

Trying not to giggle along with her—she was already repressing laughter—I shrugged. "I dunno. Where?"

"_In his SLEEVIES_!!!" she exclaimed, and was immediately reduced to a boneless mass of stomach-clutching, silently-laughing, incredibly-sleep-deprived girl.

I laughed, too, though more at her reaction than at the joke itself. "Miaka…"

"In…his _sleevies_!!" she repeated, tears in her eyes, gasping for breath.

"Yes…that's a great joke." My hand dropped to rest on her shoulder. "Should we get you some caffeine?"

She wiped her eyes, calming down gradually. "Eheh…are you sure you wanna risk it?"

"Well…" Standing up, I helped her to her feet. "So, are you going to class with Taka?"

"I was gonna, but he has _physics_," she frowned. "I won't get _anything_. Where're _you _going?"

"History."

"AHH!! Can I come with you, instead?!"

"Um, well, I guess so, if you want," I said. "Will Taka mind, though?"

She looked over at her boyfriend. "Naw, I don't think so… Hey, Taka!! _Takaaaaa_!!!"

The boy across the street winced and looked over at us like a deer caught in headlights. I laughed again.

"I'm dumping you for Ryuuen!" Miaka shouted. "Is that okay with you?!"

"Yeah, we're eloping!" I added. "We'll be back in April, after the honeymoon!"

"Oh? Where're we going?" she inquired.

"Umm…Botswana?" I suggested.

"Sure! _Taka_!! We're going to Botswana!" she called, heedless of the passers-by, who were regarding us as if we each had five heads.

"Okay, bye!" Taka replied cheerfully, waved, and walked away.

Miaka giggled again, and twined her arm around mine. "What history class is it that we're headed to, anyway?"

"Victorian Britain," I said. "It's a smaller class, but I'm sure it'll be okay if you come w…"

"AHHH!!" squealed my friend once again, completely out of the blue. I jumped in surprise. "Saihitei!!!"

"_Eeeehhh??!_" I exclaimed in dismay.

But there he was, sitting calmly on a bench and reading his newspaper. He looked up as Miaka ran toward him, dragging me along with her. For my part, I was trying desperately to drag my heels into the ground…but to no avail. Jeez, that girl was strong.

"Well, hello," he said, nodding at both of us, golden eyes twinkling. "Where are you two headed?"

"Miaka, I have to get to _class_," I reminded her, trying to mask the fact that I was trying to ignore Saihitei…which…wasn't very easy.

"Yeah!" Miaka said happily. "I'm going to class with Ryuu-chan! Wanna come, too?!"

__

GAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

"AHAHAHA, _Miaka_!!" I grinned forcefully, yanking her toward the history building. "I'm sure he has his _own _classes to attend! He's a grad student! He's busy! Busy, busy, busy…"

"Actually," said Saihitei smoothly, standing up, "I'm done for the day! I'd like to sit in on your class; it might be fun!"

__

Dammit dammit dammit dammit DAMMIT!!!!

Hey, make a run for it now; maybe you can lose him!

"Well, whatever, we're gonna be _late_!" I took off at a run, dragging Miaka, who, from her silly laughter, was incredibly amused at the situation. _Ha HA!! _I thought triumphantly. _He'll NEVER find which room we're in if we have a good head start!_

We raced into the building, up two flights of stairs, and, panting, slid into the classroom just as the bell rang. Gasping for breath, I took my usual seat in the front (far right), and Miaka took the desk behind me.

Professor Burnet raised her eyebrows at me good-naturedly as I beamed up at her, ecstatic that we'd managed to evade poor Saihitei. However, my joy was short-lived, put to sudden death when the door creaked open, and in he walked, barely even winded. 

__

Ahhhhhhhhhh, JEEZ!!! 

"Hello," he greeted the professor politely, and sat down next to Miaka.

"A little family reunion, Ryuuen?" Professor Burnet asked.

My grin remained fixed, frozen in shock. _How did he do it??? How can he POSSIBLY pop up EVERYWHERE I go??? _"Ehhh….huh…" 

The rest of the class tittered.

"We're visiting!" Miaka said excitedly. "We're…his brother and sister! Is it okay if we stay?"

"Certainly, if you're this excited about the colonization of Africa, I'd be _happy _for the change in atmosphere."

__

Brother and sister?!!

The rest of the class tittered again. They had a thing for tittering, I guess.

The lecture began, and I immersed myself in taking notes; pretty soon, I had shoved everything from my mind except for Livingstone and Stanley and their Excellent Adventures. _Nile…White Man's Burden…Newspapers…Cannibalism and…wait a sec…_

I raised my hand.

Professor Burnet interrupted herself in the middle of a sentence. "Yes? Question?"

"Umm…" I lowered my hand slowly. "Yeah. How much evidence is there that cannibalism really existed?"

"He's so smart!" I heard Miaka whisper across the aisle to Saihitei, and promptly ignored it. 

"I mean…" _Try not to sound like a know-it-all, okay? _"Isn't it possible that the explorers just made that up to make their books more interesting? I mean, they talk about fighting man-eating lions and rabid hippos and stuff…why not add in a few cannibals? And then the Africans themselves could've made up stories of neighboring cannibal tribes to try to scare away all the people who were trying to steal their countries."

Behind me, there was a loud thunking sound followed by a tiny snore. I winced, realizing that Miaka had, completely without warning, fallen asleep at her desk.

The professor regarded her blankly for a moment, earning more giggles from the other students, before returning to my question. "That's a very good question," she smiled. "To tell the truth, we can never really be sure…but it's very possible, perhaps even _probable_, that cannibalism in Africa was not half as widespread as the exploration journals would lead us to believe…" 

As she launched into the explanation, I returned to my notebook, hunching over it like a kid trying to keep his neighbor from cheating off of his test. _Ahhh, why'd you have to go ask that question??? Now Saihitei probably thinks you're a show-off…Wait, wait; how is that bad, exactly? Gah…it's bad because I don't want him to be repulsed by me. _

Even though you want to avoid him, you still want him to like you??? That makes NO SENSE!!

But I still want to be his FRIEND!!! As soon as I outgrow this dumb crush, we'll be friends. 

You're messed up.

I sighed.

__

I know… I know.

~*~

"So, do you guys wanna come see a movie tonight?" Miaka asked on our way home. We had somehow managed to rouse her from her coma-like sleep, and she now appeared practically normal. This would fade in a few hours, I was pretty sure, and she'd have another slap-happy relapse.

"I'd enjoy that," said Saihitei. "I haven't been to see a movie in _ages_."

"Ryuu-chan?" 

"Ummm…not tonight, Miaka. Sorry," I said reluctantly. I _did _want to spend time with Miaka, but I…I just…

"Huh?? Why not??" She was disappointed. "You said we'd hang out!"

"We will!" I promised, feeling terrible. "We _will_. I just can't tonight. Tomorrow, though, okay?"

Frowning, she put her hands in her pockets and studied the sidewalk as we walked. "Okay."

"…You're not mad at me, are you?"

"Oh, Ryuu-chan." She wrapped her arm around mine and hugged it. "You're always so worried about that. I'm not mad, I'm just being a baby. We'll do stuff tomorrow."

When we got to Taka's apartment, Miaka bade us farewell and, after telling Saihitei that she'd call him about the movie, went to see if Houjun and Gen-chan were still asleep. (They'd been out cold when the others had left.) From the evil little glint in her eye, I assumed that if they were, they'd be rudely and creatively awakened very, very soon. 

I forced myself to look up at Saihitei. "Um…where are you headed? You don't live around here, do you?"

"Mm." He shook his head. "I was going to get some coffee. Would you like to come along?" 

Was it my imagination, or was he frowning the slightest bit? Before I could decide, I'd yanked my eyes away. "N-no, thanks. I'm…broke." _Yeah. That's it._

We cut across the street to the dorm, and I was just about to wave and make my escape when he said, "You're trying to avoid me."

My eyes widened, and I clutched the strap of my satchel. For a split second, I met his gaze; then, I jerked my head off to the side. "I'm not."

"You _are_." 

__

Mother of God, when did my life become a soap opera?!!! I'd give anything to disappear right now…

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry if I've frightened you. But I _told _you I wasn't going to let anything interfere with a _friendship_. I…I don't understand why you're still so _afraid_."

"I'm not _afraid_," I countered, and right on cue, my voice shook a little. _Damn you, voice_. "I'm not trying to avoid you."

"You would have gone out with Miaka tonight if I hadn't said I was going," he said quietly. 

__

I can't deal with this right now. I can't be forced to talk about this. I WON'T. 

You're panicking again.

"You don't know me," I mumbled, sounding somewhat strained to my own ears. "You don't know me, so why do you pretend to know so much about me?" 

Silence from the opposition.

__

You've done it now. He'll hate you now. Way to go.

"I'll see ya." Without looking at him, not wanting to see the hurt and anger I was sure I'd inflicted, I turned and went inside.

~*~

Gen-chan called at nine-thirty to yell at me.

"Why the fuck are ya stayin home like a fuckin antisocial hermit?! Shit, it's not like ya have _class _tomorrow! And Miaka's gonna be fuckin _gone _in a few days! Crap, with this and the goddamn party last night…what the hell is _wrong _with you, man?"

I sat there and took it, too tired to argue. "I dunno."

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. 

"Fuckin hell! This isn't fuckin funny! And it ain't fair, makin me worry about you like this! You've been actin like a goddamn mental case ever since that asshole Chuin freaked you out; has he been at you again? Cuz I swear ta God, if that mother-fuckin…"

"Gen-chan," I whispered.

"…_Shit_." 

"I'm fine. I just haven't been feeling too good lately," I said weakly. _Stupid Saihitei; I was doing perfectly well until you showed up. _"Chuin has nothing to do with it. I don't want you to worry about me."

He gave a reluctant sigh. "Ya want me ta come keep ya company tonight?"

I smiled. "No, I'm just gonna go to bed early. Thanks, though. I'll be better tomorrow."

"Ya fuckin _better _be," he growled. "I can't take any more of this fuckin moody shit."

When we'd hung up, I stared at the blank TV screen for about ten minutes before deciding I was hungry. I scratched my head and put on my shoes, and headed out to buy myself a sandwich. I was, to say the least, _completely and utterly _unprepared for the lone, trench-coated figure sitting tragically on the bench outside my building.

I took a few steps back when I realized who it was. But he looked so…_lost _was too strong a word, maybe…but…it was along those lines, I guess. So I walked forward slowly, until I stood by his shoulder. 

Saihitei looked up, eyes a bit bleary, and gave me a sad smile. "Oh, hey," he greeted. 

"…Hi." My eyes wandered to a dark bottle he held in his right hand, and I realized he smelled like beer. _Oh, great. Just GREAT. You're mean to him, and he comes and sits outside your window like that My Fair Lady guy. And he's drunk. Just PERFECT. _I swallowed. "Are…you okay?" _What do you THINK, you moron?? Does he LOOK okay?? Does he SMELL okay???_

"It would've been so much easier," he mumbled.

I blinked. "…What would've been easier?"

"If I would've said 'to hell with it.' Wouldn't it have been easier if I would've said to 'to hell with it'?" He shot me an unfocused look. "'To hell with it. Even…even the _Emperor _needs to be happy sometimes…'"

__

Okay, now…what the hell's he talking about?

"You used to love me, you know."

My heart froze in my chest. _Wh…what?_

He shook his head slowly, morosely. "And now…you're scared. It's my fault, and I…I don't blame you…" 

"S-Saihitei, it's not…I mean…"

He stood a bit shakily and looked down at me, a good head taller than I was. Before I knew what he was doing, he'd raised a hand to the side of my face and was stroking my cheek with his thumb, surprisingly gentle for someone who was…well…_drunk. _I could only stare at him, jaw slack, too shocked to do anything else.

"You used to love me, Nuriko," he said, his voice breaking. "Why don't you love me anymore?"

__

N…Nuriko? He…he called me…

But the thought died in an instant as he leaned forward and…_kissed me_.

The street was silent around us. And the night grew suddenly warm.

TBC…

****

Notes: Gahhhh, my first literary kiss!! ^_^n Okay, so it wasn't much…but…it's the first one I've ever, ever, ever done. Hee hee. Kaze-chan really helped me out (by _suggesting _it, when I was gonna drag the whole tension thing out some more). I figured that if Hotohori didn't kiss him _now_ (conveniently drunk), he wouldn't for a while. ^_^ And Kaze-chan had an interesting suggestion, which leads me to insert…

****

ANOTHER STORY AKUGI ( ~.^;;; )

Kaze-chan: It could be like: "S-Saihitei, it's not…I mean…" "You used to love me, Nuriko….Why don't you anymore?" KIIIIIISS

****

Mouse-chan: **cracks up** 

(love the length of the KIIIIIISS)

****

Nerd Alert Note: Sorry for the history lecture….ehehe…but come on, I'm a history major!! ^_^ At least I didn't go into Home Rule debates, or why the British women campaigning for women's rights in India were usually only using that cause to promote their own…. 

****

Nuriko: **staples Mouse-chan's mouth shut**

****

^_^


	7. Ehehehehehe...

****

Disclaimer: I own everything that has to do with Fushigi Yuugi. I also own the Chicago White Sox, the Imperial War Museum in London, the Pepsi One patent, and Bing Crosby. Bing and Nuriko actually get along quite well. In fact, Bing was thinking about changing his name to Kurasubi just to fit in with the group. He's directing a Japanese language version of 'White Christmas' ('Shiroi Kurisumasu') starring Nuriko, Hotohori, Tamahome, and Miaka, to be released later this year. 

****

Warnings: As always: language, shounen ai, and sap. Can I call it shounen sap? Shounen sap.

****

Notes: Gahhh, thank you so much for the reviews! ^_^n You make me blush. It makes me want to keep on pluggin away at the story, which is great. ^_^ The other contributor to the speed of the writing of this chapter is the fact that I have a geology final tomorrow night. BAH! I have _plenty _of time to learn everything there is to know about glaciers. For instance, there are two kinds of glaciers: Alpine Glaciers and Continental Ice Sheets, the first of which form in mountains (duh?), the second of which cover large land masses, like Greenland and Antarctica. See? I just learned that, and it only took me thirty seconds. 

****

Bing Crosby (a.k.a. Kurasubi): **croons** I'm dreaming of a whiiiiiiiite glacier…

****

ANOTHER STORY

Chapter Seven:

Ehehehehehe…

__

Um…umm…he's kissing me. Should I do something? Um…I had no part in this. I'm just the kiss-EE. He's the drunk one. Him. This doesn't change anything.

But it changed _everything_.

It was the first time someone had ever kissed me, except for Miaka and, well, my mom. And neither one of them had ever gone for the mouth. Then again, neither one of them had ever kissed me after consuming large quantities of alcohol. I got licked on the mouth once by my grandma's sheepdog, but somehow I don't think that counts. And this was… _nice_. Scary. But nice, in a scary sort of way. It was really a pretty _little _kiss, no gross stuff like you see in the movies with the tongues and when it looks like the two people involved are trying to eat each other. My mouth was mostly closed. _His_ mouth was mostly closed. I'd never analyzed a kiss like this before. But I'd never had the opportunity.

__

Oh my god, I'm a grownup!!! Someone's kissing me!! Oh my god, I'm a spazz!!

The shock of it wore away into minor hyperventilation—not because I was panicking, for once, but just because of the novelty of the thing—and I must have made some sort of little sound, because Saihitei suddenly froze and pulled away.

We stood there together for a couple stagnant minutes. I stared into his eyes as my breathing spell slowly died down, and he stared right back, looking somewhat stunned. 

__

He really DOES have pretty eyes… 

"I…I…" he stuttered, suddenly shifting his gaze to the ground and turning away, still wobbly from however much he'd had to drink. "I…I'm sorry. I mean…I shouldn't have…not when you…"

It was so weird to see him acting like this. He'd always been so calm and reserved…

__

Always?! You've only known him for four days!

…always so in control, and sophisticated. 

__

That's why you don't drink, I reminded myself. _You might kiss someone._

"H-Hotohori…" I began, but stopped. 

__

Where did that come from?? What the…what…

He stiffened immediately, and whirled around, his eyes wide and shining and the slightest bit puzzled. "What?? What did you say?"

I blinked. _My head must still be fuzzy from…hehehehe. _"Sorry," I said evenly. "Saihitei." _Namedropping. Off to a great start. _"Please…don't worry about it, don't be upset…" _How can one little kiss make all the difference in the world? _Something had broken inside me…the part of me that was afraid of being hurt. The fact that it had broken was scary in itself. But a great stereotypical warmth had filled my chest, and a voice was repeating over and over again that it was _okay _to be afraid…that it was a part of being alive.

"No," Saihitei mumbled. "What…what did you call me?"

"I didn't mean…" I began, the new fear being that he _wouldn't _like me, which was weird and more than a bit manic depressive.

"Please."

The sudden, intense calmness in his voice and in his eyes made me falter, and I knew I had to tell him. It wouldn't matter, anyway…it's not like I _knew _the guy the name belonged to. I remembered now, it had been the previous night at the party, and Miaka and Taka had been talking about someone named…

"Hotohori," I said sheepishly, my voice small. "But I don't even know a Hotohori; it's weird, it just…"

And he reached out and pulled me toward him, hugging me fairly tightly, with even less warning than he'd given with the kiss. 

"Eeeh?" I squeaked.

"You remember!" he exclaimed in muffled joy, sounding like he was two seconds away from bursting into tears. He leaned his head on top of mine so that I was almost completely surrounded by random pieces of Saihitei.

I had _no idea _what the _hell _he was talking about, but I was too wrapped up—both figuratively and literally—in The Hug to say anything about it. My mind drifted slowly off as I closed my eyes…._This guy likes you, and you like him!!! He likes you! You like him!! And you're admitting that?! Even though it might not last? Even though you might come to depend on him emotionally, only to wind up alone again?_

But I don't care! It only just started…

In the back of my mind was my own little voice, _singing_: "_Never knew…I could feel like this…like I've never seen the skyyyy before…Never knew I would sing like this… like a great big saaaappy bore…_" I rolled my eyes and giggled, and was surprised to feel tears trying to form, prickling under my eyelids…and suddenly…and suddenly…

…And suddenly Saihitei weighed _way _more than he should've, and was leaning on mea little too much. 

__

Oh, good God. He fell asleep.

I struggled frantically to keep him propped up, but he was already directed at the ground, and rather firmly attached to _me_. The end result of this interesting turn of events was me lying on my back in the grass with a drunken, sleeping Saihitei sprawled on top of me. Snoring.

__

Well. This is awkward.

Shoving at his chest, I managed to roll him over just as a tell-tale sort of war cry pierced the air, approaching at a rapid pace, if the Doppler Effect was any indicator.

"_FFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!_"

A flying form soared through the air and landed on top of me, pinning me to the ground _again_.

"Ack!" I squawked.

"_Goddamn fuckin molestin perverted trench-coat freak_!!!" Genrou fumed, directing this last at Saihitei's prone form. "_Gerrup!! _I'll teach ya ta mess with _my _fuckin friends!!!"

"Genrou!" I exclaimed as he pulled me up and "hid" me behind his back.

"Stay behind me, Ryuuen! I've got it fuckin taken care of!"

"_Genrou_!" I tried again. "He's asleep!"

There was a slight pause.

"It's okay! He's just…a little tipsy, and he fell asleep, and I tried to hold him up, but I couldn't," I explained, attempting to get Genrou to calm down. 

He lowered his arms slowly, twisting slightly to face me. "He didn't fuckin attack ya?"

I shook my head. "But thank you."

"Well, _shit_." Bringing hand up, he scratched his head. "Well…whadda we fuckin do with him?"

Gazing over at Saihitei's face, I couldn't help but smile like an idiot at how happy he looked. His mouth was curved upward in a tiny smile… A feeling that could only be described as "goopy" flushed through my body, and I had to bite back a slew of lovesick giggles.

__

Oh my goodness! Is this ME?? 

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Gen-chan grunted. He took one look at my face and let out an earth-shattering exclamation. "Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh, fuck!"

I blinked. "What?"

"You fuckin _like _him!!!" He pointed a finger at me accusingly. "HAH!!!"

"No I…"

"YEAH, ya fuckin do!!! You're all moony and shit!! And yer face is all red! You're actin like fuckin Miaka getting all lovey-dovey with Taka!!"

"Gen…"

"_Ryuuen's got a cru-ush!!! Ryuuen's got a cru-ush_!" he called to no one in particular, accompanying his taunt with stupid little dance moves.

I punched him. "Shut _up_!!"

"_OWW_!!!" The teasing smile faded, and he glared at me and clutched his arm. "_SHIT_, Ryuuen!!"

"Wimp."

"That fuckin _hurt_! Real fuckin nice. I come to _save _yer bony little ass and ya fuckin _abuse _me!!"

"Gen-chan, if you weren't so obnoxious, I wouldn't be forced to do these things," I told him with a sweet smile, batting my eyes.

"Stop tryin ta be cute," he growled. "Like I fuckin said before, what the hell are we supposed ta do with yer goddamn boyfriend? Don't think he'd like it much if we just fuckin left him here, with his fuckin hair all mussed…" Gen-chan looked startled then, and frowned pensively; I followed his gaze to the bottle of beer, now lying on its side by the pavement. "I'm not fuckin carryin him all the way up to your room."

I stared at him. "Not to mention the fact that I'd prefer _not _to have people witness an unconscious drunk guy being carried into my dorm room?!"

He chuckled. "We can take him to Taka's place. They're waitin fer this fuckin piece of work, so they'll still be there."

So Gen-chan grabbed Saihitei under the arms, and I grabbed his legs, and we ambled across the street. The stairs up to the first floor gave us a bit of trouble, being rather narrow (at least Saihitei didn't _wake up _when we banged him into the wall), but we finally arrived at Number Six, and knocked on the door.

"Coming!" came a cheerful voice—Miaka's—and a split second later, she'd flung open the door, her smile fading into surprise. "Gen-chan? I thought you were gonna go see how Ryuu-chan…AHH!" The surprise faded into downright stupefaction as she noticed the rest of us. "What _happened_??? Oh my god, is he okay?!"

"Fuckin fantastic," muttered Gen-chan. "Drunk off his ass."

"_Drunk_?!!!" If possible, her eyes widened even more. She moved aside to let us drag our burden in.

"He's just a little woozy," I reassured her. "Not too many brain cells lost. No liver damage to be feared."

"I've never _seen _him drunk!" Miaka mused in amazement.

"What's up?" said Taka, emerging from the kitchen, combing his hair.

"Saihitei's _drunk_!" Miaka exclaimed.

"_Drunk?!!!_" His fingers fumbled, and the comb clattered to the wooden floor. "_HIM_??!!"

Houjun moved from the couch as we deposited Saihitei upon it. "Is he all right?"

"Ah, he'll be fine, long as he doesn't fuckin mind being fawned over by _this _fuckin kid," Gen-chan sighed.

My mouth fell open, and—guess what?—I blushed furiously. "G-_Gen-channn_!!"

He raised an eyebrow at me, as if to say, _What?! What'd I do?_

Miaka's grin was _far _too wide for her face. "Ahhhh, Ryuu-chan!!! You like him???"

Ah, who was I kidding. Raising my fists to cover my mouth, I nodded profusely.

"EEEEEE!!!!" she screeched, and flung herself at me. She hugged me, then grabbed my hands and jumped up and down, as was her habit. "Yay yay yay yay yay!!!"

Around us, Taka, Gen-chan, and Houjun wore rather long-suffering expressions. Saihitei…well…just lay there.

"You've never liked anyone before!" Miaka was more excited than _I _was, for crying out loud.

"I know! Isn't it _weird_?!"

"And I'll tell you a secret…" she leaned forward and whispered in my ear. "_He likes you, too_!"

I beamed. "I know."

For some reason, her lip started shaking, and she hugged me again. "I'm so happy for you!"

"Miaka!" I laughed. "It's not like we're getting married, or anything…"

"Of course not," she said. "You're gonna marry _me_."

"Oh, yeah."

"Ahhhhh….so are we going to see the movie, or not?" Taka interrupted.

The two of us blinked. "That's right; you're gonna miss it," I said.

"Yer just gonna leave this guy on the fuckin couch?" Gen-chan said bluntly.

"I'll, um…I could stay here with him," I offered quietly. "That is, if you guys don't mind…I sorta need to talk to him, so..."

"Fuckin hell," muttered Genrou.

"That's fine, if you don't mind missing the movie," Taka told me, reaching for his coat.

I shrugged. "I wasn't gonna go anyway."

Gen-chan was reluctant to leave me, after being somewhat jolted by my "attack" (even though he _knew _now what had really happened). But Miaka convinced him that everything would be fine, that they'd known Saihitei for ages and he was perfectly safe. So they left, and I was alone with Saihitei, who wasn't much company at the moment. 

I figured he'd be out for a while, so I settled in the armchair and flipped on the TV. _Nothing…nothing…boring… boring…Matlock…Munchkins?? _Grinning, I huddled down in the pillows to watch 'The Wizard of Oz.' I hadn't seen it since I was a little kid. When my little sister was being born, my grandma came to stay with me and we'd watched 'The Wizard of Oz' six or seven times in a row. I guess it overstayed its welcome. But I was happy to watch it now.

…Or, happy to fall asleep while watching it, which is what ended up happening.

~*~

When I awoke, maybe an hour and a half later, it was to the sight of golden eyes peering down at me. Blinking rapidly, I struggled to sit up, and moved so I was leaning against the arm of the chair. "Ahhhhhh….hi!"

He smiled. "Hi." A slight wave of confusion crossed his face. "How exactly did I get here?"

"Oh, um…" _How much does he remember? Well, obviously, he's not gonna remember how he got here, being asleep, and all…but does he remember the important stuff?? The kissing part? The hugging part? _"You fell asleep outside…so Genrou and I carried you up here."

His eyebrows twitched. "Ah! Ahhhh…dear me…"

"How…how are you feeling?" _If you blush again, by god, I'll pound you as much as one can pound onesself._

With a sigh, Saihitei sat down on the arm of the couch. "Bit of a headache, but otherwise…Ryuuen," he fumbled, "I…I don't usually do that…I don't usually imbibe alcohol, and…well…"

__

He's gonna say he's sorry that he kissed me. He's gonna blame it on being drunk. Nonononononono, don't do that! Don't do that!!

"Saihitei," I interrupted.

"You called me Hotohori," he said, very quietly.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to," I assured him quickly. "But, well…I have to tell you that…I…" _Gaaaaaahhhhh, you freakin moron!!! Just SAY it!!! _"I'm sorry for trying to ignore you today. I'm an idiot. It's j-just that…I'm not used to this."

Tilting his head slightly, he quirked a smile. "Not used to what?"

__

Okay, I swear, I'm pounding you, just like I said I would. "Being in love with someone," I whispered, lowering my eyes to the rough blue carpet.

Silence.

__

Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock…

Ba-bump, ba-bump, ba-bump…

Why isn't he saying anyth…

For the second time that day, something warm pressed against my lips. I blinked in surprise, looked up to see Saihitei's nose right in front of my face.

__

He…he's…doing it again!!! And he isn't drunk! He really means it! He really… ehehehehehehe!!! I couldn't help myself; I did the worst thing someone could possibly do during a kiss. I started giggling.

Pulling back, he smiled down at me. "What?"

I shook my head, unable to stop, cheeks still burning. My hand went to the side of my face to try to cool it down. Or hide it. Or both. 

Saihitei chuckled, then grew serious as I calmed myself down. "I'm very glad you like me. It would have been terrible trying to pretend I didn't love _you_."

"This is…this has never…I've only known you a few days!" I mused, overwhelmed but happy. 

He looked a bit sad. "Sometimes, that's all it takes, I suppose…"

The door flew open, and in stormed Gen-chan. "Okay, so what the _fuck _went on in here while we were gone?!!"

Frozen and blinking, we stared at him.

"Gen-chan, _stop _it!" said Miaka, following him. "Don't be rude. Go help Houjun with the bags." Grumbling, he left, and Miaka turned to us. "Hi! Did you guys get a chance to…ummmmm…talk?"

I smiled. "Yeah…"

"_You DID_???!!" Miaka exclaimed, tears filling her eyes, clasping her hands together. "Oh, I'm so _happy_!! Nuriko, I've missed you!! I'm so glad you remember!!" She raced over and hugged me.

__

Whaaaaaaaaaaat?!?!?! WHO THE HELL IS NURIKO??????

Saihitei, meanwhile, had been making cut-throat gestures with his hand; when Miaka jumped on me, he sighed, closed his eyes, and moved the hand to his forehead. "Um…Miaka…"

"Miaka?" I said, wanting to bring the whole situation to light once and for all. "Who's Nuriko?"

TBC….

****

Notes: Ehehehehe…sorry for the sappiness, but people tell me it isn't so bad… ~.~ 

****

ANOTHER STORY AKUGI

Genrou:_ Goddamn fuckin molestin perverted trench-coat freak_!!! _Gerrup!! _I'll teach ya ta mess with _my _fuckin friends!!!

****

Ryuuen: Genrou!

****

Genrou: Stay behind me, Ryuuen! I've got it fuckin taken care of!

****

Ryuuen: Gen-chan! Why the heck are you so obsessed with protecting me?!

****

Genrou: (_turning to Ryuuen in slow motion, with sparkly hair and stuff_) Isn't it obvious?

****

Ryuuen: Ummm…_no_.

****

Genrou: Ryuu-chan…._I love you._

****

Ryuuen: Oh, Gen-chan!! Really?! I love you, too!!

****

Genrou: Let us fly away to Holland together.

~.^;; hehehe 


	8. And Now...

****

Disclaimer: I don't own Fushigi Yuugi, but sometimes I think I _am _Nuriko. (That _was _a joke. No, really. I swear.)

****

Warnings: Brief and blunt Episode 33 spoiler, but it's not dwelt upon. ^_^ Shounen sap. ~.~() Funky socks. ~.^ 

****

Notes: Kaze-chan, I can't thank you enough for putting up with my frenzied questions and worries concerning this chapter. ^_^ You da bomb, compatriot. ^_^ And everyone else, goodness, _thank you _for liking my story!!! ^_^n I hope everyone's having a great last few days of school, and that y'all have tons of fun over the break! 'Fellowship of the Ring' comes out on _Wednesday_!!! That's only _five days_!!!! **dies from excitement**

****

Fun Note: If you guys wanna see a picture of the Giggle Kiss from Chapter Seven, go to http://geocities.com/purplemouse105/Ahahaha.jpg !!! heehee.

****

ANOTHER STORY

Chapter Eight:

And Now…

First there'd been that weird semi-prophetic dream I'd had a few nights ago, the one where I'd seen Saihitei before actually meeting him, and I could've sworn I remembered him calling me something like Nuriko. Then there was the party the previous night, and _Miaka and Taka _had been talking about 'Nuriko.' 

And now today. 

"_You used to love me, Nuriko…Why don't you love me anymore?" ~Drunken Sloshed Saihitei._

I'd almost forgotten the whole thing due to, ahhhh…circumstances beyond my control. But something weird was going on. Something _very _weird. Weirder than me falling for a guy I just met, or me falling for _anyone_, at that. 

__

"Nuriko, I've missed you!" ~Miaka, not fifteen seconds before. 

Who the hell IS this guy??? Why does everyone keep pinning me with his name?

But it was more than that. I'd known Miaka for years, and she'd never…

__

Ahhhhhhh, this is WAY too weird.

She had pulled away slowly after I'd asked her to explain herself, and was staring at me in mortified horror. "Oh, you mean…you didn't talk about…_that_," she said meekly.

Saihitei cleared his throat. "Um. No. We did not."

"You meant…_other things_."

He nodded. "In fact, yes."

"_Excuse me_??!" I exclaimed, more in the dark than a blindfolded mole in a windowless dungeon at midnight. "I'm sorry; I don't get what you guys are talking about, and, well…I have a funny feeling it involves me, and I'd kinda like to know, oh… exactly _what _in the name of all things holy is going _on_."

Miaka and Saihitei shared a brief look, after which Miaka sighed and turned to the door once more. "See you guys later!" She grabbed Taka, who was just coming in, and dragged him back outside.

"Wh-whaaat?? Where're we _going_?!" I heard him demand in surprise.

"Out for milkshakes! Come onnnn…."

Suddenly, I felt very, very small. Such a feeling has a tendency to pop up when one knows one is about to have something presumably important explained, and is rather uncomfortable and frightened at the possibilities. It didn't help that Saihitei hadn't said anything yet; I wanted to scream at him to hurry up and explain the whole Nuriko thing before I completely flipped out, but figured it would be neither tactful nor polite _nor _conducive to our newfound "relationship."

__

I'M IN A RELATIONSHIP!!!!! I'VE BEEN KISSED!!!!

SHUT UP, you freak of nature!!! Now is NOT the time for random gushy thoughts!! 

"Ryuuen…" said Saihitei finally, and I snapped to attention. After a moment's more hesitation, he threw me a tiny smile and offered me his hand. "You're probably going to want to sit down for this…"

__

Oh. Great, I thought, as he drew me gently over to the couch and sat us both down. _THAT'S something I wanted to hear. That's something you'd say to me if I had a terminal illness, or my fiancé had been killed in the war, or something_. _Killed in the war. Jesus. Watched enough old movies recently?_

I was sitting pretty rigidly, and I guess he noticed, because he himself relaxed a little and squeezed my hand. "Calm down," he said. "It's nothing bad. It's just…it may be a little difficult to understand, at first."

I nodded. "Okaaaaay…"

"I…" he began. "I…I'm going to tell you a story."

__

A long time ago, in a galaxy faaaaar, faaaaaaaar away…

"Eheh…is it a pertinent story?" I inquired with a weirded-out grin.

"_Extremely_. One hundred percent," he said solemnly. I nodded again in a silent request for him to proceed, digging out a tentative smile to show him that I was at least _trying _to be calm.

And he began to talk.

"Ahh…once upon a time, in a faraway land, there lived a very handsome emperor. But although he had everything he could ever need, and was beloved by all, he was a very lonely man. He was supposed to marry, you see; however, he knew that the hundreds of beautiful maidens from whom he would have to choose would love him only because he was the emperor, and not for who he was inside. This…this made him very sad." He shut his eyes for a moment. "The emperor's name was Hotohori, by the way."

__

Hotohori??! "But, that's what I…" I began, but he raised an elegant hand to get me to shut the heck up.

"Shh," he soothed. "Please; let me tell it, and afterward, if you still have questions…"

"Sorry."

He smiled his thanks, and continued. "There was a legend in the land that a girl would come some day from another world, a girl who would be the priestess that would summon Suzaku, the phoenix god, and protect the kingdom forever. Hotohori had been told this legend when he was a boy, for he had been marked as one of the seven Seishi who would protect the girl when she arrived. From that time on, he dreamed of the day when the Priestess would come; he dreamed she would fall in love with him, would love him as a man, and not as the emperor. But when the Priestess finally arrived, her heart was lost to another: a fellow Seishi, a man named Tamahome."

__

Tamahome!! You are Suzaku no Shichiseishi Tamahome!! Sent to protect Suzaku no Miko!! Tamahome…you're scaring her…

I jerked my head and gasped the slightest bit. _What was THAT??? What WAS that????!!!!!! _…But just as soon as it had appeared, whatever it was had gone, leaving me shivering slightly. _This is…this is…strange…_

"Now, despite all this, there was one person who loved Hotohori more than anything else in the world…" Saihitei, luckily, hadn't caught my sudden spasm, since he seemed to be rather wrapped up in his story, and he'd closed his eyes again. "This person, too, was a Warrior of Suzaku, and had lived in the palace for more than a year by the time the Priestess came. He was the most beautiful young man that the Emperor had ever seen—apart from himself, that is—and possessed both a selfless heart and a vibrant spirit. This…this was Nuriko."

__

Nuriko. _Wait…wait…is he…crying? But Hotohori-sama never cr…_

"At first," Saihitei went on, sounding the slightest bit…well…teary, "the Emperor tried to ignore the young man who loved him so desperately. It was cruel of him, but he believed it to be necessary. Even if love between two men had been more acceptable, he was still the emperor, and that meant…that meant that perhaps his most important duty to his kingdom was to produce an heir, to keep the country free of civil war. But the more he considered the women in his harem, the more they saddened him. And it was not until the Priestess and the rest of her Seishi were forced to cross the sea on a mission—leaving Hotohori at the palace, for he was needed to guard his kingdom—that he finally began to realize…that he cared very deeply for poor Nuriko, who had always shown him such kindness and devotion."

__

This is so familiar…so familiar…Hotohori-sama, I didn't know; I didn't know…

"He made up his mind that, when his friends returned, he would tell Nuriko how…how he felt. Even though, for the sake of the kingdom, they could not be together, he felt he owed it to the young man…owed it to _himself_…" He swallowed hard, and skipped ahead. "But he never got the chance, because…Nuriko…never returned from the quest. He was killed. And just like that…it was over."

__

I won't let you hurt any of my friends… _If I die, I'll never see him again… If I die…_

"Ryuuen…"

I was frozen, except for my jaw, which had begun to tremble. He stared me straight in the eye, and became a blurry mess through the mirror of my tears.

…_Hotohori-sama?_

"It's me," I whispered, and they spilled over.

He regarded me in amazement, and fumbled a bit before trying to speak. "Y-you…"

"It's me," I repeated, "isn't it? It's me. I was…and you were…" But confound it, I couldn't continue, because it's hard to talk and cry at the same time. I couldn't explain it, but somehow, my heart remembered, while my mind did not… _That's why you weren't scared of him when you saw him for the first time. That's why you keep dreaming about him. You knew him. In a past life, you LOVED him. And he…and he…_

You believe him this easily? You accept something out of this world so readily? All you have to prove it is your stupid subconscious. This isn't realistic. You've never exactly been what one would call "grounded," but this is a step beyond.

When I was little, I was convinced that everything I read about in books was real. Maybe not in _my _world, but _somewhere_, it was real. People used to laugh at me and tease me about it, so I started believing them when they said I was just living in a fantasy world that didn't exist. And now…

__

And now…

He reached out to touch me, but I raised a shaking hand and warded him away gently. "It's…it's not fair," I wept, sounding to my own ears like a little kid. "It's not fair that they told me things like this weren't real." 

__

You're babbling.

I KNOW, thankyouverymuch.

A tear slipped down his own face, and he slid forward and wrapped his arms around me, squeezing me tightly. I hugged him back, sobbing quietly, and buried my head in the crook of his neck.

__

I remember…I used to dream about this…

"I finally found you again," he choked out. "I finally found you…and I won't let you go. I won't ever let you go."

Wondering if he were still suffering from the after-effects of his beer, I laughed through my tears, because he sounded almost exactly like the girl from 'Titanic.' "You might have to, eventually," I managed between sobs. "It'd be hard to ski like this."

We must have been an awful sight, half laughing, half crying, rocking slowly back and forth on the crappy pea-green sofa in Taka's apartment. I should have been overwhelmed; I should have thought he was completely nuts. We had a tragic almost-love in a past life? _Sure_, Monsieur le Maniac. But it made sense…somehow, it just made _sense_. Hell, maybe I was crazy, too. Maybe we'd both wind up in a padded white day-care center some day.

__

"Do you believe in reincarnation, Nuriko?" ~Saihitei…Hotohori…in my dream.

"I wasn't sure before. But I do now…I do now." ~Ryuuen…Nuriko…just now.

~*~

"How much do you remember?" Saihitei asked me. We had put a damper on our emotional overload some time ago, and had resigned ourselves to that mysterious past-time that had seemed completely inane to me just hours before: _snuggling._ (Jeez, nothing gross!!! He just had his arm around me, that's all!!)

"Mm…not a lot, I guess," I said, rubbing my eye with my fist. "It's mostly just a feeling, really…just a familiar feeling."

He brought his hand up and started playing with my hair. "No memories at all?"

"Flashes. Little things. And…dreams." I was so warm, and crying so much had tired me out… Plus, I had the world's nicest pillow sitting with his arms around my shoulders. I was going to fall asleep _very _soon, and knew it.

"I remember everything that happened," said Saihitei quietly. "I have all my life."

"Hmm…wonder how come," I sighed, my eyes slipping closed.

"I don't know," he admitted. "I can't help but think it was so I could find you again."

"Hmm," I said again. "N'way. M'not that 'mportan."

He fell silent, and I listened to his heart beat, felt his chest rise and fall gently… _I've become a stereotype, dammit to hell_…_a stereotype that's…falling asleep…_

And the last thing I heard before doing so was Saihitei's whisper above my ear: "You're more important than you think."

~*~

The air was warm…and the trees around me were waving around, leaves rustling, even though there wasn't any wind…and Saihitei was beside me…holding a sword. __

Oh, GOD…not another dream…

"Are you still afraid?" he asked. He was wearing some weird kind of samurai suit or something, and looked like an extra in a bad Shogun movie. No, he was too cute to be an extra; make that the STAR of a bad Shogun movie.

"Yeah. But it's okay now," I told him. "I got my medal from the Wizard. At first we thought he was a monster, but it turns out he was just some old floating woman in disguise."

"You're taking this reincarnation thing pretty well."

"Well, I'm wearing socks with turkeys on them," I explained. (This made perfect sense in my dream, for some EXTREMELY obscure reason.)

"I wonder if the others have socks with turkeys on them."

"The others?"

"The other Seishi. The ones who don't know yet."

"No, I think my socks are unique," I said proudly.

Lightning struck from nowhere, and made red flash behind my eyes.

~*~

There are more of us. 

Another flash, and my eyes fluttered open.

There, kneeling by the side of the couch, was Miaka, wearing the biggest, stupidest grin I'd ever seen a person wear before. In her hands, a camera. 

__

What the… She was…taking our picture??

"Hi!" she whispered, putting a finger to her mouth, still smiling. 

I glanced up to see Saihitei's head tilted back, his eyes closed, his mouth just slightly open. Turning back to Miaka, I frowned at the thing she held. "What're you _doing_?"

"You guys are so _cuuuuuuute_!!!" she gushed, managing to both whisper and squeak at the same time. "Falling asleep together like that…come _on_, it would've been a _crime _not to preserve the moment!"

"_Seventeen times_," added Taka from behind the couch.

"Miaka," I said sternly, "give me the camera."

Her eyes widened. "_Excuse me_, _MISTER _Chou. I believe this camera belongs to _me_."

"I look _awful_," I moaned. "I'm tired and I have bags and I'll _buy you more film_, okay? You _know _I hate people taking my picture."

With a slightly evil grin, she scooted back a few feet and dangled the camera in front of her. "Come and get it, and I'll throw out the film."

Rolling my eyes, I made a move to get up, but stopped suddenly. 

"Oh? What on earth is the matter?" she said in mock-surprise, touching her bottom lip with her finger like Shirley Temple, or something.

"I… Just give it to me, will you? _Please_?"

"Why can't you just come over here and get it?" she inquired innocently.

I sighed, and mumbled the reason.

"Pardon?" Miaka cupped an ear with her hand.

"If I move, I'll wake him up," I repeated, only _slightly _louder than before, and wondered if people could cause permanent damage to their blood flow by blushing too often.

"_Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww_!!!!" she exclaimed in glee, though I understood perfectly well that she'd known I wouldn't move. To make matters worse, _Taka _even joined in her cooing, and I could do nothing but glower at them, immobile.

"You guys suck," I muttered petulantly.

"I'll wake him up," said Taka, as his dumb girlfriend retreated to the bedroom to hide the stupid camera. Before I could comment one way or the other, he'd positioned himself behind Saihitei, and began tapping him on the forehead with his index finger. "Helloooooo!! Ego Trip!! Wake up; too much sleep can cause embarrassing blemishes!!"

Saihitei's hand flew up in a flash and caught Taka's hand in mid-tap; then, he opened his eyes slowly.

"Hi there," Taka greeted with a smirk. "I never took you for a 'Sleep-On-The-Couch' kinda guy."

"You'd be surprised," Saihitei replied good-naturedly, releasing his captive and straightening up on the couch. He gave me a smile that started that annoying gooey feeling in my chest going again.

"So…what did you guys _talk about_?" said Miaka carefully as she returned. "Anything…_important?_"

Saihitei nodded. "He knows. He hardly remembers anything, but he knows."

__

Wait, that's right… Somehow, MIAKA'S in on this, too!!

"You're not in denial, or anything?" she said, sounding surprised. "That's _great_!"

"How did _you _know who I was?" I pressed. "How did you know, when _I _didn't even know?"

She raised her eyebrows at Saihitei. "You didn't tell him _that_??"

"I told him about Suzaku no Miko!" he said defensively. "I just didn't mention that you're her."

"_YOU'RE the Priestess_??!!!" I cried, the pitch of my voice even higher than normal. "The one he was in love with??!! With all the…the warrior guys to protect her??" This was _Miaka_!! The girl I'd known for _years_!! How could she not have told me all this _before_?!

"Not only the Miko," said Saihitei, amused, and gestured to Taka. "Another 'warrior guy,' as well."

Taka waved to me. "Sorry you don't remember everything; Saihitei was born with the memories, and I was, too, at first…but that's a long story…"

__

Taka with longer…longer hair, and…a little girl? 

"Tama-chan," I said in a small voice.

He grinned. "If you _did _have all your memories, you'd remember how many times I told you not to _call me that_."

"Oh!…Sorry…"

"Don't mind it now," he shrugged. "It's good to hear you say it again."

"It's so great that you're not freaking out right now!" Miaka exclaimed. "We were so afraid you would!! I mean, lots of people would!! I hope the others take it as well as you!"

__

They will if they're wearing socks with turkeys on them, I thought dryly, then was struck with a thought. "That's right! There were _seven _Seishi…and there are three of us here! That means we have four more to find! Do you have any idea where they are?!"

There was a slightly long pause, during which I tried (and failed) to think of possible reasons _why _everyone was staring at me like I'd just announced that the capital of England was Buenos Aires.

Miaka raised her eyebrows at me, then turned a blank gaze to Saihitei. "You didn't tell him _that, either_??!!"

TBC…

****

Notes: Ehehehehehe… ~.~() sorry for the whole Hotohori Speech Thing, but I was trying to keep it from Ryuuen's perspective (i.e., he hasn't heard any of it before, so it's all new to him). Hope you guys liked it. ^_^

****

Kaze-chan: What's UP with all Ryuuen's socks??? ~.^

****

Mouse-chan: It's CUTE!! ;;

^_^


	9. Reasons and Stuff

****

Disclaimer: Too busy downloading mp3s to possibly own Fushigi Yuugi.

****

Warnings: Ummmmmmmm……..I dunno. Cereal? Shounen ai and cereal. There ya go. _Possibly _not as sappy as the past few chapters. ^_^

****

Notes: Everyone who's reviewed this story, I love you forever!! You guys are so nice. ^_^ Sorry this one took so long (and it's probably not even worth it ~.~ ), but now that I'm home for winter break, there's too much to do… **whines** I wish I was back at school, but with no classes! I'd get SO much more done!! Well, anyway…I realize I've been cruelly neglecting Fires of Destiny, so I promise, that's what I'll work on next! ^_^ Hope everyone's having a good break, and good luck to everyone who's still taking finals! Especially chem finals. ^_~ 

****

ANOTHER STORY

Chapter Nine:

Reasons and Stuff

I folded my hands calmly and raised my eyebrows at Saihitei. "You've…found other ones besides me?"

"I _was _going to save that for another day," he explained kindly. "I thought one shock would be enough…"

"Well," I sighed wryly, "you're a little late for that. After being tackled by Miaka this morning, having my history class infiltrated, seeing you drunk, kissing you, falling in love for the first time _in my life_, discovering I'm some warrior incarnate, and finding out that two of my oldest friends are _also _Celebrity Reincarnations of the Ancient World, the shock factor is pretty much lost on me."

"You guys _kissed_???" Miaka crowed.

I ignored her. "Where _are _the other four? Have you found all of them? Where are they?"

"Ahhhhhhhhh, well…" Taka rubbed the back of his head with his hand and smiled sheepishly. "Funny story, actually…"

"The other four seishi are named Chichiri, Mitsukake, Tasuki, and Chiriko," Saihitei told me patiently. "And…"

"Chriko looks so _great _when he's all grown up!" said Miaka, clasping her hands together. "Doesn't he?"

Miaka was smarter than she herself thought she was, but sometimes she was just _suuuuuuuuuch _a bubble-head…and it didn't help that she hadn't slept at all the night before. I scooted over to make room for her on the couch, and she bounced happily over and sat down, hugging me around the neck. 

"All right," I said, "so now I know their names, and that one of them looks great. What I _don't _know is _who they are_…" A thought suddenly struck me. "Do I…do we _know _them??!!"

"Uh huh," yawned Miaka. 

__

Mwahaha…I hope she falls asleep…then I'll get Taka to find her camera and give her a taste of her own medicine…

"Everybody from the party," she continued.

Mildly taken aback, I glanced at Taka and Saihitei for confirmation. 

"That's why she wanted to have the party in the first place," Taka admitted softly with a nod. "It was the first time we'd all been together since…Miaka left the book."

__

Ummmm… 'book'??

"Book?"

He looked about to explain, but I cut him off. "No, no…shock is one thing, but complete avalanche of stuff is another… Just stick with the warrior guys, and wait, they're _all _the people who were at the party last night???"

__

Wow…MAJOR delayed reaction…That means…Myoujuan and Doukun and…GENROU???!!!!

"There's no _way _Gen-chan is a warrior!!" I cried, my eyes wide.

"What makes you say that?" Saihitei looked amused _again_.

__

Glad I'm amusing.

"He…he's _Gen-chan_!!!" I spluttered. "He's my best friend!! He's a slacker, and…he…wears dirty clothes!!"

"Nuriko," Miaka murmured, "shut up and go to sleep…"

"He's more upset about Tasuki than he is about himself," Taka muttered to Saihitei with a chuckle.

"_Stop laughing at me_!!" I insisted. "_Tasuki_??"

Saihitei nodded slowly, almost reluctantly. "Your friend Genrou is Suzaku no Shichiseishi Tasuki."

"He's all of _that_?"

He sighed. "It's too much."

"_YEAH _it is! I can't even _begin _to picture Gen-chan as a mythical warrior!" _Can't picture yourself, either. Or Taka. Or Saihitei. Well, maybe Saihitei…he's got the whole 'Noble and Chivalrous' thing going for him…_

"I meant, too much for you to take in," he clarified. "I don't think we should get into this right now. I think we should sleep, and talk about it tomorrow. We're all tired."

The moment he said it, I _was _tired, strangely enough…and hungry. Torn between downright _insisting _that he told me _everything_ and admitting that he was probably right, my stomach decided for me by grumbling loudly.

Miaka woke up in a flash. "Wasn't me!" 

Taka laughed. "We picked up some ice cream when we were out, if you'd like some. Miaka just had an entire milkshake, but I doubt she'll object to having something more."

His girlfriend stuck her tongue out at him, but didn't make any move to deny it. She went to put her pajamas on, and Taka and Saihitei left to "get something out of the car…" I knew they were up to something, but wasn't gonna let on. So that left me to dish out the ice cream.

__

You're nuts. You just found out that reincarnation exists, and what're ya doing??? SNACKING, I thought absently as I dug half-heartedly at my bowl. _Maybe I AM in denial. But, no; I've thought about it…rationally. Kind of. So therefore, I must be insane, like I've said before. _

I wonder if Gen-chan knows…

And it occurred to me then that he couldn't _possibly _know, because he would've _totally _freaked out, and I'm _sure _he would've blabbed it to me… And I knew he didn't remember from the start like Saihitei and Taka, because _again, _he would've blabbed; plus, I recalled, they'd sent him out of the room on purpose before Saihitei explained stuff. 

__

Holy crap. He's gonna blow something up when they tell him. Whoever tells him, for example. 

"Hi!" chirped Miaka's voice, rousing me from my pondering. Now wearing purple flannel pajamas, she shoved something green at me. "Here; put these on."

I blinked at her. "Ummmmm…why? What are they?"

"They're a pair of Taka's pajamas." She sat down happily, brandishing a spoon.

"But…"

"I thought you might wanna stay here tonight, since you were sick yesterday. And you live on the fourth floor; you don't _really _wanna climb _all those stairs_, do you?"

"We have an elevator," I said, but took the pajamas anyway, since it sounded fun. "I'll stay, but we _are _going to _sleep _tonight, all right?"

Upon her insistence, I went to change right away; Taka's PJs were so big on me that the side of the neck kept threatening to fall down my shoulder, but they were comfortable. I sat across the tiny table from Miaka, grinning…until I noticed the dark look on _her _face.

"Ryuuen," she growled.

__

What?? What did I do??? I blinked at her.

"Just _look_!!! You took _all _the cookie dough balls from the ice cream!!!" she accused.

My mouth fell open. "I…I did _not_!!!"

"_Look _how many you have!! And I don't have _any_!!"

"Miaka, get a _life_," I instructed, shoving my bowl at her. "We can _switch _if you want."

"Okay!" she replied cheerfully, and took my ice cream.

__

Jeez! I didn't think she'd really DO it!! I started laughing, and put my head down on the table. _Miaka and her food…god, but she's manic depressive._

"What?" she demanded with her mouth full. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," I giggled. "I'm tired."

"Me, too…"

"Gen…Gen-chan's gonna flip when he find out."

She laughed around her spoon. "I know…poor Tasuki…"

"I say we make Saihitei tell him." An image of a singed and sooty Saihitei was quickly put together in my mind, and I giggled even harder.

__

Singed and sooty? Why on earth? Because…it's something to do with Genrou… something…I dunno why. Genrou and fire. 

Is that…a memory?

Once when we were seven, Gen-chan had set our Boy Scout Master's shirt on fire in a freak marshmallow accident. Nobody could really explain _how _it had happened, but the guy'd wound up in intensive care despite our merit-badge-worthy attempts to extinguish him. 

__

But…why would I remember that NOW???

I fell silent, trying to puzzle it out…but one should never try to puzzle things out when one is tired, and my mind kept winking in and out, and the next thing I remember is waking up in bed with Miaka.

After a few minutes of lying there frowning at the back of her head, I rolled over on my back to frown at the _ceiling_, instead. Falling asleep in one place and waking up in another was always kind of creepy, which I'd learned getting my wisdom teeth pulled in tenth grade, being gassed and coming around four hours later in a room down the hall.

__

Where am…oh, yeah, I'm at Taka's…and Saihitei likes me…and in a past life I was one of seven celestial fighter dudes who helped Miaka. Whoah. Now THAT'S a waker-upper…what if it was all a dream?…No…no, it can't be, because I'm here, aren't I?

The question soon arose as to exactly _how _I'd arrived in the bed, the possibilities of which were both exciting and embarrassing at the same time.

__

Eheh…maybe Saihitei had to carry you…

GAHHH!!! There's gotta be a rule that says you're not allowed to carry someone until you've at LEAST been on a DATE!! 

Isn't there a kissing rule, too, though?

Ahhhhh, it's all messed up…why can't I do anything normally?? 

He CARRIED me!

You don't know it was him; you might've walked half-asleep, and you just don't remember.

But he MIGHT have!!

"Ryuu-chan," Miaka mumbled, "what're you smiling at? Look like cat from Alice in Wonderland."

"Sound like girl from jungle tribe," I replied, looking over at her with a grin.

"Mmph," she said. "Zit morning?"

Somewhere beyond the closed door of Taka's bedroom, the phone rang.

"It's light outside, which would tend to suggest morning," I said, stretching and climbing out of bed. Normally, I _really _wasn't a morning person…but I couldn't help but wonder if Saihitei had ended up spending the night, as well, and…

"Ahh!" cried Taka in surprise as I bumped into him hard on my way out the door.

"Ahhhhh!! I'm sorry!" I exclaimed.

"It's okay, it's okay," he assured me, and held out the portable phone to Miaka. "It's Keisuke; he says it's kind of important."

She scrambled to accept the receiver; I would've stayed to make sure everything was all right, but Taka herded me into the kitchen. "It's nothing big," he promised. "Do you want some breakfast?"

"It's morning, and we're not tired anymore," I replied happily. "Do you want to tell me the rest about Genrou and Houjun and Doukun and Myojuan? Do _any _of them know yet? When are you going to tell them?"

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh," said Taka, putting a frantic finger to his lips, "I don't know if we're even gonna _have _a Thanksgiving…party…so I don't want to invite anyone just yet…"

"Um…what the heck are you talking about?" I cocked an eyebrow at him.

"I don't want people to _overhear us talking _about a party that _might not even happen_," he continued through teeth that were slightly clenched.

__

Thanksgiving party?? I had almost resigned myself to the fact that this was another wacky dream, and was about to reaffirm that I was wearing those turkey socks that were somehow so important, when a crown of bluish hair popped up beside us.

"You guys are having a Thanksgiving party?" said Houjun politely.

__

OH.

"Oh…_darn_," Taka smiled apologetically, fixing me with a meaningful eye. "We were trying to keep it _secret_…we don't even know if it'll happen or not, it depends on how much time we have…"

I grinned sheepishly and gave him a subdued thumbs up to show that his intention had finally gotten through my thick skull… For some reason, he didn't _want _to tell the others yet, and I had almost ruined it. Oops. I headed into the den, eyes to the ground, and was arrested by a large, gentle hand on my arm.

"Good morning."

__

Hehehehehehe, he STAYED!!!! Saihitei stayed, too!! 

But my jubilation fell into a panic as he dove in to smooch me and I realized I had the worst morning breath in the history of the world. I widened my eyes and covered my mouth urgently with my hand. "_MMMMMM!!!!_"

Blinking, he pulled back. "What's the matter _now_?"

"MMmmffmmm," I apologized ruefully, and he got it and laughed, shaking his head.

Leaning in again, he gently kissed my forehead, 'caressing' (for lack of a better, less Cheap Romantic Novel-esque word) the back of my head with his right hand. "I don't care, you know," he said. "And one of these days, you're going to have to let me kiss you properly."

__

Face hot face hot face hot…

And he carried you to bed, too!

MIGHT have!! And that's not helping the face issue, here…

I motioned toward the bathroom with my head, and he smiled again and let me go. Figuring Taka wouldn't mind if I used some of his mouthwash, I did a thirty-second Listerine cycle and raced back out.

"I'm sorry," I told Saihitei quickly, "I'm sorry…it must seem like I don't want you to kiss me, but I _do_." _Ahhhh!!! _"AHHH, I mean, if you want, I mean…"

"It takes a while to get used to," he said with a nod.

I nodded, too. "I'll get better." _After all, he waited about a hundred lifetimes for me. What if I'm disappointing??? What if he changes his mind???_

"Ryuuen." He frowned. "I hope you'll never change just for my sake. There is no 'better' where you are concerned. You are who you are, and I'll take you that way. You'll get _used _to us, and our _relationship _might get better, but don't ever believe that such a thing depends on you pretending to be something you're not."

__

Holy…wow. This guy has to be a scientific experiment, or something. NO guy is THAT understanding…

He motioned for me to come closer, and whispered in my ear. "Taka doesn't want to tell anyone else about their past lives just yet. He thinks it would be too much to handle. He only agreed to _me _telling _you _because it was…well…_personal_. And I wasn't about to search for you my whole life, only to lose you because you didn't remember… how you felt. But seeing how well you took it, I think he might change his mind."

__

His…whole life?

"So until we can come to a mutual decision, we're going to let it rest."

"How does Miaka feel?" I asked quietly.

"She…" he sighed. "She wants her friends back. With all her heart, she wants everyone to remember what she does. But she sees Taka's point, as well."

"You know," I said, "I can't promise that I'll _ever _remember _everything_. I wish I could. I wish someone could cast a spell on me or something so I _would_. But…even so…" I gave him a smile, "I'm glad you told me. It makes me feel stronger inside, somehow. Just knowing that…that I used to be someone important."

He looked like he was about to say something, frowning slightly yet again, but then Taka interrupted by calling once more that breakfast would be served if people would tell him what the heck they wanted to eat.

"Crêpes Suzette," I ordered snobbishly, "and a brioche, s'il te plaît, garçon."

"Very funny," was his reply. "We have Special K and oatmeal."

"Well, whatever we have, we might want to eat before Miaka comes out," said Houjun congenially.

__

Warrior warrior warrior warrior!!! my mind insisted on announcing, pointing invisible fingers and bright neon arrows at Houjun, which didn't really help with the whole subtlety thing. And then, suddenly, another word leapt into my mind:

__

Mask.

Whatever reaction I had to this was lost to the others' eyes as Miaka emerged from the bedroom, looking slightly stunned, but, above all, excited. "Keisuke's coming to see us tomorrow!" she exclaimed.

Houjun looked pensive. "Keisuke?"

"Oh, I've _told _you about him!" She swatted him lightly, still grinning. "He's my brother. Or…at least I _think _I've told you about him. I retract the swat if I haven't."

"Why the sudden visit?" Taka inquired, although he looked pleased. He and Keisuke were already almost like brothers themselves, which was pretty convenient, if you asked me, since older brothers usually have a tendency to beat up anyone their little sister is currently dating.

Miaka took a deep breath and beamed at him, and the sudden flicker in her eyes gave away—at least, to me—that she was hiding something. Given the circumstances, I thought she was probably hiding whatever it was she was hiding from poor Houjun, the Unaware.

"He's found something," she said, and proceeded to attack the cereal.

TBC…

****

Notes: I'm sorry, I'm sorry, this chapter was kinda dull… But, as Kaze-chan says, it's a Transition Chapter. ~.~() And they are doomed to be dull, I suppose. It should get better, though! Honest! And questions/comments are appreciated and encouraged. ^_^

****

ANOTHER STORY AKUGI!!!!! (Run and hide! Run and hide!)

Ryuuen: **narrating** …And the next thing I remember is waking up in bed with Miaka.

****

Miaka: AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!! **clutches sheets** 

****

Ryuuen: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! **falls out of bed**

****

Miaka: HENTAIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I THOUGHT YOU WERE GAY!!!!!!!!

****

Ryuuen: I AM!! I AM!!! I SWEAR!!!!!!

****

Saihitei: **appearing out of nowhere and continuing the narration** Little did everyone realize that the gay thing was really just a ploy to get girls.

****

Ryuuen: Curses! They found me out.

~.^;;


	10. I Was A WHAT???!!

****

Disclaimer: I do not even own a cell phone yet. Fill in the rest.

****

Warnings: Slight shounen sap. Maybe not so slight. I do not know. I have lost all ability to measure such things. 

****

Notes: I am addicted to WinMX. I can't stop myself from downloading mp3s. ~.~() I must seek help. But I fear I won't be able to begin the long road to recovery until I find all the FY CD book songs!!! Someone had them when I was here over Thanksgiving, I swear! But I can't find them again!!!!! **goes insane** Anyhoo, hope you guys like this… and have fun! Thanks for reading. ^_^ Oh yeah, and I wrote almost the entire chapter _longhand _(**blink blink**) in the van on the way to my grandma's house. ^_^ So any strangeness in style can be blamed on that fact. Hee hee. 

****

Dedications: Woo-hoo!! Okay: the first section is dedicated to Red-chan, who thinks she's Chichiri. ^_^ The rest is for Kaze-chan and Ryuen-sama, just because they're cool and they're good at description (whereas I'm a dialogue girl, or hadn't you noticed?? ^_~), and they like Nuriko, so maybe they won't mind the Nuriko-centric sappiness. ^_^ Kaze-chan, I hope you're enjoying your Forster! (Way to go, Forster! Inter-class marriages! Hurrah!! Okay, I'm a nerd.) Ryuen-sama, I hope you're enjoying your Nuriobsession as much as I am. ^_^ Monomania?? Mental help?? Pshaw!!! 

****

ANOTHER STORY

Chapter Ten:

"I Was A WHAT???!!!"

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful. Taka still had classes to go to (with the faithful Miaka at his side for moral support), and Saihitei had to go back to his place. After making a quick trip across the street for a shower and a change of clothes, I popped back into Taka's apartment (seemed like I should be a co-leaser, or something, for all the time I spent over there) to keep Houjun company. I was good at that: keeping people company. Good old companionable me.

"So," said Houjun, "what is there to do around here?"

I almost started laughing. Allenby College is possibly one of the least active places on the face of the earth. "Well, let me see," I said. "There's a movie theater in the next town…which does us no good at all, since I'm carless and you drove here with Miaka. The mall's pretty crappy…but it has a nice food court with a carousel. But that, too, is useless…"

"…Since we're without transportation," he finished with a smile.

Nodding, I returned his grin. "In walking distance, we have…bars. About twelve of them. All practically right next to each other, too. And expensive coffee shops. And ooooh, a Colonial Pantry. That really reels in the tourists."

He chuckled, and we looked at each other passively.

Looked at the TV.

Looked at each other again.

"Jeopardy marathon?" he offered.

"Certainly," I agreed, grabbing the remote from Taka's coffee table and flipping the TV to Channel 10. Pretty soon, the two of us were shouting out the answers to the questions…ahh…well, okay, _I _was shouting out the answers. Houjun was just stating them, fairly calmly.

Example:

Alex Trebec: "A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!" is a famous line stated by this Shakespearean king.

Me: (bouncing) Edward the Third! Edward the Third! Edward the Third! Edward the Third!

Contestant: Who was Henry the Fifth???

Me: (thinking I'm really smart) AHHA!!! NOPE!!!!

Alex Trebec: I'm sorry. The correct answer is…

Houjun: (quietly) Who is Richard the Third?

Alex Trebec: Who is Richard the Third!!

Me: ….Oh.

I'd almost forgotten that Houjun was a warrior guy, which was a good thing, I suppose, since I was supposed to keep it hidden from him. But every now and then it would strike me suddenly, and I'd have to force the thought from my mind so I wouldn't stare. That and the association between Houjun and a mask, which I couldn't even _begin _to explain.

Taka and Miaka got home around four, and I gathered my things to go have dinner in the dorm. The food wasn't that great, but it was prepaid, and I didn't have much money. As I bid everyone farewell and headed out the door, Miaka gave me such a huge smile that I was honestly scared for a while.

"Ahhhh….something wrong?" I inquired.

"Nope! Bye-bye!!" she said cheerfully, and shoved me out.

__

Something's gotta be up. Way to be covert, Miaka-chan.

And sure enough, when I stepped outside the building, there was Saihitei, standing in front of a sleek black Acura with his arms folded across his chest. He was wearing the black trench coat he'd been wearing when he'd saved me from Chuin, blowing slightly in the wind along with his long brown hair. When he saw me, his face lit up, and my heart began pounding in my ears, and my knees got all liquidy, as if to remind me that, oh yeah! I loved this guy. In case I'd forgotten, or something. Good Lord. It'd only been about half a day since I'd seen him.

"It's Friday night," he grinned as I stood in the doorway, afraid to move unless I fell on my face, or something. "We seem to be doing things a bit backwards, so I was wondering if you'd care for a first date."

~*~

The next few hours were like some scene stolen from a sappy (albeit slightly bizarre and other-worldly) romantic comedy. But I didn't mind the sappiness, oddly enough. Sure, it was weird that it was happening to _me_. I never would've thought in a million years that a guy as nice and handsome and generally wonderful as Saihitei could _possibly _love someone like me.

He took me to dinner, as coincidence would have it, at the same Italian place I'd fled a few nights before. I was perturbed at first—and winced at the sight of the shattered glass window, now taped up and sealed with plywood, that I'd shoved Chuin into—but from the moment we sat down, it was different. Whereas Chuin was leering and ogling and more or less psychotic, Saihitei…well…_wasn't._

Okay, that's it, I said firmly to myself. _I am formally erasing the memory of my First Date Ever being with Chuin and replacing it with THIS._

Somewhere along the line, I asked Saihitei to tell me about my life as a Warrior Guy, and hinted that he could toss in some stuff about Gen-chan and the others, if he were so inclined.

"Oh, dear," he smiled. "The explanation begins. Well. I'll do the best I can, but you must take into consideration the fact that I might not have everything exactly right, since I was held to the palace for most of the adventure." But he told the story as best he could: Miaka being sucked into another world somehow—_"Auntie Em! Uncle Henry!"_—and meeting Taka…or Tamahome, as I now _very _vaguely remembered…meeting her Celestial Warriors and battling with…

"_YUI-CHAN_?!" I exclaimed, rather too loudly. "_YUI-CHAN _got sucked in, _too_?? And they _FOUGHT each other_???!!"

"Oh," he said meekly, wincing the slightest bit at my outburst. "I…I forgot you didn't know that part…"

"Do I know _ANYONE _in this life who wasn't a part of this book???!!!"

"Fate has a way of…"

"_Kouji_!" I exclaimed happily. Yes! Kouji was safe. 

Saihitei cleared his throat. "You mean…Tasuki's friend Kouji, who took over the leadership of his group of bandits when Tasuki decided to follow his duties as a seishi?"

__

Ehhhh???…Dammit. "Shouka, then," I tried again.

"Mitsukake's fiancée, who died and was possessed by a…"

"Doulin! Lanva!"

"Byakko no Shichiseishi, if I have their real names right from Taka…Subaru and Tokaki."

"K-kaen?"

"Oh, yes, her…I've never encountered her, but Taka claims she's Soi. One of the Seiryuu no…"

__

Gahhh!!! "Well…well, my family! My family can't be part of this, right?"

__

Desperate much??

He shrugged. "Younger sister Kourin, older brother Rokou? Sure. Miaka says they look just the same as before."

__

No way. 

"NO WAY!!!!!"

He chuckled. "Strange, yes. But like I said, destiny has woven the threads of our lives together."

"Mrs. MacPherson, my piano teacher when I was eight years old," I challenged.

"The Empress of Sairou," he said with a straight face. I gaped like a fish, and he lowered his head and smiled. "That was a joke."

I burst into relieved giggles. "Hehe, Hotohori-ssss…S…Saihitei…" _Or what?? God, which one do I use: the one I met him as, or the one that insists on coming naturally?? _"Ahhhhhhummmmm….tell me about…the other seishi. Miaka's seishi."

So he did, and I learned that Doukun used to be some kid named Chiriko who was really smart and had died really young (which would explain why Miaka had been so excited to see him older, I guess). Myojuan had been Mitsukake, a doctor with special healing powers. 

"A doctor, huh?" I said. "Well, that fits; he's pre-med!"

Gen-chan was Tasuki, the leader of a group of bandits, which I thought was fitting, and made me reconsider my earlier feelings concerning the likeliness of him being a seishi. I guess you couldn't really choose if you were born with Warrior Potential, and you had to do what you had to do, no matter who you were. And Houjun had been Chichiri, a traveling monk.

"A monk, huh?" I said. "That's a nice conglomeration we had in this group of seven. A monk, a bandit, an Einstein, a doctor, and the Emperor of Konan. And Tama-cheeeehhhhhhhh, Taka. And me. What was I, anyway?"

"You were a member of the Imperial Hhhhhhhhhhheehehhecchhhh!" Saihitei's eyes suddenly popped open, and he was seized by a violent hacking fit.

I pushed my glass of water over to him, alarmed. "Are you all right??!!" _My God, don't die!!! I'll NEVER find another boyfriend!!_

"F-fine…" he squeaked, eyes watering. "Sorry…"

__

Phew!! "That's okay. So what was I?"

"Um." His iced tea suddenly seemed to fascinate him to no end. "A member of the Imperial…the Imperial…Hhhhhorse-training division."

I blinked. "Horse-trainer? Really?"

"Mm," he confirmed forcedly, nodding, and immersed himself in selecting the perfect breadstick for his own personal consumption.

__

Somethin fishy here. I narrowed my eyes a bit. "What was I _really_?"

He looked up, all innocence. "What? I just told you. Would I lie to you?" His voice just happened to crack on the word "lie," which pretty much gave the game away.

"What was I really?" I demanded. _And how come you don't wanna tell me?!_

"Is that the waitress with our meals?? I hope she…"

"Saihitei."

He sighed. "I'd rather not tell you."

"Why not?!"

"I'd just rather not."

"Saihitei, _please _tell me. How bad could it be?" _Don't try to answer that. Don't…even…TRY._

He looked at me long and hard; in fact, if he'd have looked at me any longer or harder, I probably would've forgotten the question, since piles of goo don't seem to have the capacity for memory. But eventually, he relaxed, clasped his hands on the table in front of him, and said calmly, "You were a member of the Imperial Harem."

__

Insert crickets chirping.

"I was WHAT???!!!" I exclaimed. "I…but…I thought only women did that!!! Was I a woman??!!"

"No," said Saihitei, trying to maintain his placid demeanor. "You were a cross-dresser."

"I was a _WHAT_????!!!!!!!!!!!"

__

"You know, you'd look really cute in drag. Ever considered it?"

Go to hell, Memory of Chuin!

"Don't be upset. It doesn't change anything." Trying to ignore the fifty-plus bug-eyed restaurant patrons who were now staring at us. I was getting a lot of that lately. "It was just a slight identity issue. You began dressing as a man again soon after Miaka arrived."

"Wh…_WHY???!!_"

"Your sister died when you were very young," he explained patiently. "She was killed before your eyes. The two of you had been very close, so you decided to keep her memory alive by _becoming _her."

I stared. "A _bit _over the top, wasn't it?!!"

He shrugged. "You were loyal. The most selfless and loyal person I knew. You had this…_intense_ sense of love and friendship…which makes me even more ashamed that I couldn't tell you how much I…" He trailed off. "…I had the feeling it got to you. You loved so fiercely, and yet none of that love was really returned to you openly, for one reason or another. But, Nuriko…believe me when I say this. Anyone who ever met you would have been a fool if they didn't love you."

Then came the ache in my heart, like I was going to cry without knowing why…and the burning on my left breast, right under my collarbone… I didn't know if that was my heart, too, or…or… 

__

You remember the loneliness, don't you? You remember being torn apart inside, because no one ever loved you back…

"Perhaps this wasn't the best place to discuss this," said Saihitei, a concerned look blooming on his face. "Nuriko…Ryuuen…don't cry. Please don't cry."

__

I never cried this much before you showed up, you big noble idiot.

"I'm not crying," I croaked.

__

I think that's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me, EVER. How am I SUPPOSED to react?? Stupid emotions. But can I blame them? For heaven's sake! "Ryuuen, everyone you've ever known and their second cousins once lived inside a book with you." "Ryuuen, you used to be a cross-dressing concubine in a past life." "Ryuuen, anyone who ever met you would be a fool not to love you…"

And the feeling… Alone in my room, my _ancient _room, crying in the corner because I loved people too much, and I couldn't stop…

__

"Anyone who ever met you…"

Saihitei reached across the table and covered my hand with his own. At first I was shocked, thinking that people would stare and be all sneery, but then I realized—although somewhat bitterly—that I probably looked girly enough so that no one would notice.

"I'm here now," he said firmly. "I'm here now, and I love you. And that's all that matters."

I lowered my eyes, smiling, my chest swelling almost to the point of being painful.

"Now," he clicked good-naturedly, "if we could only do something about that blushing problem of yours…"

It was a mutual and unspoken decision not to discuss The Book any more that night, and though it still tugged at me, I think it was good to let it go for a while. Despite my pressing everyone to tell me all about it, it _was _a lot to deal with, and the cross-dressing thing had been…well…a good place to stop for a while. Saihitei paid for dinner despite my desperate protests—_yes_, it was a perfectly normal part of going on a date, but _still_…it was weird, weird, weird—and we went to see 'Thirteen Ghosts' at the movie theater that Houjun and I'd been unable to access earlier. And halfway through the movie, he _held my hand_!!!! And no one can see you blush in the dark, so it was all good.

When he drove me back to my dorm, I expected that he'd just drop me off and be on his merry way…but he parked, and walked me to the door, and said, "I just thought I'd warn you…I'm going to kiss you now. So no laughing. No ducking out to brush your teeth. All right?"

__

Witty response? Searching brain for witty response… Access denied due to overwhelmed nature of host. Command: Close Mouth. Command failed. Damn.

Blinking gracefully down at me—_the guy even BLINKS gracefully!!_—he moved in for the kiss…I closed my eyes and waited…and…

__

Sigh…

"I never dreamed of such happiness when I was the Ugly Duckling."

Stop quoting freakin Hans Christian Andersen, will ya, for pete's sake???! He's kissing you, here!!!

I know…I know, and it's…wonderful.

~*~

Usually, on a Saturday morning, it is the habit of college students to sleep as late as is humanly possible. This was fully my intention, especially because I slept better after that First Normal Kiss than I'd slept for about a month. _However_. Some other people, who happened to be staying across the street, had somewhat different plans for my morning.

As the annoying, shrill sound pierced through my state of complete relaxation, I groaned and tried to convince myself that it _couldn't _be the phone. _No one _would call me at ten in the morning on a Saturday. No one who didn't want me to punch them into a wall, or something. But it _was _the freakin phone, and it wouldn't shut up.

__

If it's Chuin, I'm going to sic my friend the reincarnated bandit on him.

But it wasn't Chuin. It was Miaka.

"Ryuu-chan! Wake up! Wake up!!"

"Miaka," I said hoarsely, rubbing my forehead. "It's Saturday morning."

"Don't be so crabby! You have to come over right away! It's important! Houjun just went for a walk and Keisuke's gonna be here in about three minutes and Saihitei's already here and it's _important_!"

__

Oh, yeah…Keisuke was gonna come over, cuz he "found something…" I wonder what it could be!

"Okay, okay…Do I have time to brush my teeth and…"

"NO!!! Just grab some gum or something… I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Ryuu-chan, but I dunno when Houjun is coming back, and Taka doesn't want him to know about it yet…"

"Right, right," I yawned. "Okay. I'll be over in two minutes."

By the time I'd thrown on a sweatshirt over my pajama bottoms and stuffed a baseball cap on my head and hustled (bleary-eyed) across the street, Keisuke's car was already parked rather haphazardly in front of the apartment. I'd barely knocked on Taka's door when it was flung open and I was dragged urgently inside.

"Jeez!" I exclaimed. "It's like we're doing a drug deal, or something. 'Hey, man!! Keisuke's got the goods! Shhh, keep it on the low down!'"

"Nice to see ya, Ryuuen," said Keisuke, waving; he would have said more in the way of greeting, but Miaka chose that moment to jump on him.

"_WELL????? _Show us! Show us!!"

"All _right_!!!" he exclaimed, trying to push her away. "Nice to know that this thing is more important than saying hello to your old friends." But he reached into a long box at his side, and drew out an equally long object, wrapped in a piece of red cloth. Taka, Saihitei, Miaka and I gathered around in a circle, wide-eyed and breathless, as he slowly unwrapped it to reveal...

…A large, shining, _very _familiar-looking metal fan.

TBC…

****

Notes: Bwah hah. ^_^ Twist, anyone? Kinda? Maybe? **shrugs** I gotta say, I'm sorry for the absence of Tasuki in these past few chapters! He's my second fave, and I miss him. He's so much fun. ^_^ But he's coming back in the next chapter! So maybe that'll be fun. ^_^ Or "interesting," at least, perhaps. ^_^

ANOTHER STORY AKUGI!!!! -_-() ****

Saihitei: I just thought I'd warn you…I'm going to kiss you now. So no laughing. No ducking out to brush your teeth. All right?

****

Ryuuen: How about sneezing?

****

Saihitei: No.

****

Ryuueh: Karaoke?

****

Saihitei: No.

****

Ryuuen: Playing frisbee?

****

Saihitei: NO.

****

Ryuuen: Irish dancing?

****

Saihitei: …That's just _stupid_.

****

Ryuuen: I thought you loved me.

****

Saihitei: Not if you're gonna freakin Irish dance when I'm trying to kiss you.

****

Ryuuen: Fine. I'm leaving you for Mitsukake.

~.^;;

(Holy cow, where the heck did _that _come from??? Little too much sugar today… ^_~ )


	11. Into the Darkness

****

Disclaimers: Mouse-chan's list of FY inventory: Two video box sets. Four CDs. Two (or more) bootlegged WinMX CDs. Two wall scrolls, both featuring everyone's favorite purple-haired cross-dresser. One OVA2 video cassette (the first one). Five home-made FY plushies, one minus clothing because of lack of correct fabric. ( ~.^;; ) One pin with Tasuki on it that is now lost somewhere between the French Building and the History Building. ( **sniff** ) Notice the series itself is not listed among these assets. Notice that no characters are, either. 

****

Warnings: For the first time in a million years: TASUKI LANGUAGE!!! Multiple personalities. Frozen custard. And, oh yes: SHOUNEN AI!!! In BIG LETTERS so blind people can see it!!! ^_^ If you don't mind it, then please, read on! If it's not your thing, DON'T!!! If it's not your thing, I can respect that. But if you know you won't like it and you read it anyway, it's your fault, not mine, so go read something else that you might give an even chance. ^_^ Okie dokie? Okie dokie. ^_^ But when all's said and done, this chapter is definitely not as sappy as recent chapters have been. There's actually a little more plot this time. O.O DUDE!

****

Notes: Another big thanks to everyone who's reading! Hope you like it, and hope everyone's having fun. ^_^

****

ANOTHER STORY

Chapter Eleven:

Into the Darkness

"Genrou," I breathed, and the focus of the room was immediately turned from the metal fan to _me_.

"_Ryuu-chan_!!" Keisuke exclaimed, eyes going all sparkly, grabbing my shoulders and fairly bouncing in excitement. "You remember? Do you do you do you do you???!!!"

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh, _stop_!" Trying to disentangle myself from him was useless, and I was shaken like a maraca. It was Taka who saved me, inserting his arm between us and knocking poor Keisuke in the face. He stumbled backward in surprise and fell on his butt. 

"Can we be calm?" Taka stated, dusting his hand nonchalantly on his shirt.

"It's Tasuki's," Miaka confirmed for my benefit. "But where did you _find _it??? _How_???"

"It was the strangest thing," Keisuke mused, not even bothering to pick himself up, but lying there sprawled on the hardwood. "I smashed one of Mom's old plates accidentally, and when I went to the antique shop to try to find a replacement…there it was. I can return it, if it isn't the right one…but I remember it was…"

__

'If it isn't the right one?' How many giant metal fans with flame-throwing action could there possibly BE???

… 'Flame-throwing action?' …Dude. Subconscious working hard today, eh?

Taka was appalled. "How much did it _cost_??!"

"Well…" Keisuke shrugged. "I dunno. Tetsuya was the one who actually bought it. He and Yui-chan swung by on their way to the city, luckily enough; I'd put the thing on hold so I could call him and ask for money, and then there he was, right at my door. Said he got a decent deal on it, though. You know how those places like to haggle."

The thing glistened softly in the sunlight trickling in through the windows, and Miaka regarded it in awe; she lowered her hand and _almost _touched it, but…stopped, and drew back. "I don't believe it. How is this possible?"

"You got sucked into another world through a book, and you're wondering how _this _is possible?" I giggled, nudging her with my elbow.

"That's a very good point," said Saihitei quietly, and I realized I'd forgotten to say hello in the excitement…dammit. "Perhaps it doesn't need an explanation. It's here." He looked about to say something else, but cut himself off. A moment later, though, he continued. "It could be a sign. A signal that we should…let Tasuki know who he is. Maybe let _all _of them know."

I turned worried eyes to Taka, knowing, from what Saihitei had told me, that he wasn't exactly 100% behind that idea. My friend was standing with his jaw set stubbornly, but a thoughtful expression had also crossed his features.

__

I think he might be wavering. 

The idea was exciting, but kind of…I dunno…terrifying. I guess I had gotten used to the fact that Gen-chan and I had known each other in a different life, but if they told him…he wasn't going to appreciate it. But if we told everyone, then they, too—once they got over the initial shock of it—could feel what I felt, that wonderful feeling of having been a part of something special. And I wouldn't have to keep it such a secret anymore; maybe, through them, I could learn more about who I had been.

__

Completely disregarding the fact that this now very sensible thought would have seemed like a plot from a Japanese cartoon only a few days ago.

"Taka," said Miaka softly, green eyes wide and serene. "Please."

That was it; I don't think Taka could've denied Miaka anything when she said it like that, even if he'd wanted to. With a nod that was almost reluctant, he agreed. "I suppose it has to mean _something_. And it's not right seeing the tessen without Tasuki. Even though, you realize, we'd be releasing a dangerous arsonist into this peaceful town."

"At least stuff would _happen _here, then," I joked. _Genrou and fire. This thing… this was his weapon. Flame-thrower type deal. Holy crap. And we're gonna give it BACK to him???!!!!_

Folding the red fabric back around the…_tessen_, Taka placed it carefully back into the box. "All right, so if we're gonna tell him, which of us is it gonna be?"

"Not I! I am just the messenger," said Keisuke quickly. "I don't think you were really considering me anyway, but I just had to make it _perfectly _clear…"

"Hotohori, you had good luck with Nuriko," Miaka suggested.

Saihitei's face flushed the tiniest bit. "I…I think my speech about being in love with him probably had something to do with that. I don't suppose you expect me to say the same thing to Tasuki."

I giggled. "He'd run."

"I don't think he'd listen to me," Taka pondered. "I've played too many jokes…and besides, this was _your _idea."

"You're just afraid he'd flame you again," laughed Miaka. 

"What about Ryuuen?" said Keisuke. "He's Genrou's best friend, right?"

For the second time in about three minutes, all eyes turned to me.

I blinked, and shook my head. "Ummm…hello? Keep in mind, you guys, I don't even _remember _much of anything, so how am _I _supposed to explain stuff?!"

"I still say Saihitei's the best bet," Taka reaffirmed.

"But what about _me_?" His girlfriend looked a little insulted.

"Do you _really _want to be there when he finds out, Miaka-chan?" It was a rhetorical question, and Miaka snapped her mouth shut at once.

With a small sigh, Saihitei crossed his arms. "Now the problem is, even if I'm able to explain things well, Tasuki doesn't know me. How is he supposed to believe these things from almost a complete stranger?"

__

Crispy Saihitei. I snickered, hiding my mouth with my hand.

"Well, what if Ryuu-chan went _with _you?" Miaka offered. "He can't explain things, but he could at least be there for support. If Gen-chan sees that Ryuu-chan believes stuff, maybe he'll be more ready to accept it."

__

Crispy BOTH of us. My smile faded a bit, but I nodded. It made sense, I guess. "Sure. If Saihitei goes, I'll go with him."

"Why don't you _all _go?" Keisuke wondered.

"Because we don't want him to feel like we're ganging up on him," said Saihitei, and the rest of us nodded.

"Yeah. If Gen-chan feels threatened, he'll puff up like one of those spiky fish and be all aggressive and defensive," I agreed. 

Miaka giggled. "I don't think I've heard anyone compare Tasuki to a fish before."

"Especially given his attitude toward water," Taka smiled.

"So when should we tell him?" I asked, swinging my head over to look at Saihitei, who was frowning at the ground. 

"Better be today," he muttered. "Otherwise I might have time to consider the consequences."

__

He's so smart, my heart twittered.

__

Shut up. Your days of being a sap are at an end.

Uh-huh. Right. As if. With him around? People with boyfriends automatically abandon sanity and non-sappiness. I'm afraid you're very stuck.

I…I…

Stop trying to protest. You know it's true. And for the love of god, stop TALKING TO YOURSELF!!!

"_Ryuu-chan_!!" Something poked me in the stomach.

"Uhhh?" I replied intelligently, winking back into reality.

"Little spaced out, there?" Taka said wryly, raising an eyebrow.

"I, ahhh…" _I was just having an argument with myself. Nothin unusual. _

"I said, why don't you guys take Gen-chan out tonight?" suggested Miaka, the guilty tummy poker. "Have a guys night out, or something. An excuse for him to get to know Hotohori better."

"Good idea, considering the opinion he has of you now is that you're a narcissistic drunk guy who keeps trying to sexually harass his naïve little friend," Taka smirked at Saihitei.

"I'm not naïve!" I protested.

They ignored me.

"Yes. Ahem," Saihitei said, sounding embarrassed. "Perhaps that's a good idea. Yes. We shall bond, and _then _attempt to explain."

"I've been to parties with all sorts of outrageous things going on," I announced firmly. "I'm _not _naïve."

My boyfriend (eheh!!!) gave me a look. "Outrageous things?"

"Gaaaaaahahahah, I…I've never _done _any of them," I assured him weakly.

"He's the one playing video games while everyone _else_ is doing them," grinned Taka.

"But but but that doesn't make me _naïve_," I insisted. 

"Whatever you say, Ryuu-chan," Keisuke chuckled.

"It _doesn't_!!"

"Anyone with cornucopias on their socks is _definitely _not case-hardened," Taka teased.

Miaka, meanwhile, had burst into giggles and was now beyond help. I was about to tell Taka to leave my freaking socks out of it when I felt a hand on my shoulder, squeezing it gently. Looking up, I saw that Saihitei was biting his lip to keep from laughing along with the silly girl. "All right, all right," he said. "Do you think you can bear another movie tonight? That's always seemed to me to be the best way to grow comfortable with someone, just being alone with them in silence…"

For some reason, this seemed to make Miaka laugh even harder, and Taka and Keisuke both started snickering. Saihitei blinked at them.

"Puh-puh-_poetic_!!" Miaka managed through her giggles, bent almost double on the floor. "_Alone… Silence…_ _T-TASUKI_!!!"

"Oh, dear," my boyfriend deadpanned. "Was it really that funny?"

"Apparently so," I said, though the humor of it all was rapidly catching up with me, as well. 

"And the movie?"

"Fine with me," I nodded. "Can we take your car? Gen-chan might kill us all on the way there." _And besides, your car is COOL._

"Certainly."

~*~

Seven o'clock rolled 'round, and Gen-chan met me outside my dorm. He'd been only too happy to go see a movie, especially since the local cinema was giving big-screen showings of 'Saving Private Ryan' for the first two weeks of November, in honor of Veteran's Day.

"Been a fuckin while," he greeted me as I hopped down the stairs, wrapping my scarf around my neck. "Whassup?"

"Not much!" I replied cheerfully.

"We walkin to the lot to get the car?" he offered, taking a step in the direction of the student parking area.

"Oh! Nope," I said, trying to appear as though I'd _accidentally _left out the part about Saihitei coming along. "Saihitei's gonna drive. That okay?"

He narrowed his eyes. "Fuckin Pantene Pro-V Hair-Model Dude? You guys a fuckin item now, or somethin?"

"Cut it out, Gen-chan; he's really nice," I said adamantly. "Miaka and Taka wouldn't like him so much if he wasn't."

"Hmph," was his good-natured response. "I just don't fuckin like him makin moves on ya when ya don't fuckin know what the hell you're doin."

__

Don't hit him. Don't hit him. Remember, we're going for TRUST here. "I _know _what I'm doing."

"Ch," he snorted. "Right. You're a fuckin _veteran_."

__

Warrior or no warrior, you're a goddamn jerk sometimes, Genrou Kou…

But any other argument was spared by the arrival of Saihitei, and I gratefully slid into the front seat, leaving Gen-chan to shuffle into the back like a pissed-off human slug and slam the door. Saihitei winced at the uncalled-for abuse of his beloved vehicle, but wisely kept his mouth shut.

"Good evening," he said brightly, looking back at his cantankerous passenger by means of the rear-view mirror. "Nice to see you again, Genrou."

"Hn," Gen-chan grunted, glowering.

I rolled my eyes, sighed, and dropped back against the headrest. _Well, aren't we off to a fantastic start._

Once at the theater, Saihitei tried to make peace by paying for _all _of our tickets, _and _buying us popcorn and soda. But Gen-chan just grunted _again_, and snatched his food sullenly, as if my boyfriend had attempted to steal it from _him_. Through it all, I managed not to drop kick my utterly obnoxious and childish best friend into the Harry Potter movie poster hanging on the wall. Barely. 

And then, to add to my frustration, he had the nerve to insert himself _between _me and Saihitei when we found our seats. 

__

And I thought my PARENTS were over-protective!!! I wanted to scream. The way things were going, I didn't think we'd _ever _get him opened up enough to tell him about his Tasuki Connection. 

__

Crap. All we need is for Gen-chan to be at least PARTIALLY accepting of Saihitei for about FIVE MINUTES while we tell him. Maybe once he knows, he'll understand better…well, DUH, I guess that kinda goes without saying. But FIVE MINUTES!!

As it turned out, thankfully, luck was on our side that night. At the end of the movie—a good three hours later—only the three of us remained in the theater all the way through the ending credits, relishing in the effect of the film while everyone else hurried out to their cars.

"Fuckin great movie," Gen-chan mumbled.

Saihitei nodded. "Wonderful. I have the wide-screen edition at home, but it's so much more striking on the big screen."

Looking surprised, Genrou turned to stare at him. "Really? Ya have the tape?"

"Mm. You're welcome to borrow it, if you like," he replied cordially.

My red-haired friend blinked quickly, as if he didn't understand why Saihitei was being so nice to him after he'd spent the last few hours acting like a total brat. (To tell the truth, I didn't quite understand it, either. That was just Saihitei. Gosh, he was so great…) 

"It has a special documentary that goes along with it, as well," Saihitei continued. "It's really quite interesting."

I sighed in relief as I watched Genrou's shoulders slump, saw the gears in his brain working, and reading them perfectly. _Hey, this guy's not so bad, I guess, _those gears were saying…but with a lot more cussing and slang words.

"Well, ummm…" I cleared my throat. "Should we go?"

Gen-chan sent me an ashamed look, then lowered his eyes quickly. When we'd all stood up to put our jackets on, he grinned like a maniac, his mortification pushed into the past with whatever other bad memories he had stowed away there, and said, "Hey! Guys wanna go for some kick-ass frozen custard?? Stuff fuckin rocks, and it's on me!"

I caught Saihitei's eye and grinned broadly. A peace offering! _Finally_! Thanks to the genius and universal appeal of Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks! You know how sometimes people write in to celebrities telling how they changed their lives? Sure. Well, had the situation been different, I would seriously have considered doing just that. Somehow, however, I don't think they'd quite understand a letter thanking them for allowing our friend to learn of his past as an ancient Chinese warrior with a magical flame-throwing fan.

Well, anyway. Frozen custard usually makes me feel sick, but Gen-chan practically shoved the stuff down my throat, a feat which was accompanied by cheerfully annoying comments about how I needed to eat more so I wouldn't get mistaken for a purple blade of grass. Dork. The custard shop was closing, so we sat outside at little wooden tables, the only ones in sight save for the server sweeping the floor; the air was brisk, but surprisingly not chilly, and there was barely any wind to speak of.

Gen-chan's mood had done a hundred and eighty-degree backflip, and he was as jovial as he was with Taka and Kouji, talking about his boring econ classes and displaying his awe-inspiring mastery of the art of vulgarity. After we'd sat and talked for almost an hour, Saihitei excused himself and went to get something out of the car. My heart began pounding with astounding force, because I knew he was going for the box with the tessen in the trunk. 

__

It's time.

Shit.

Is he gonna take it? 

He eyed the box inquisitively when Saihitei returned and set it on the table. "What the hell's that thing?"

Saihitei cleared his throat. "Genrou. I…_we_…have something that we need to tell you."

Gen-chan stared at me in horror. "Fuck! You two aren't movin to fuckin Holland??!!"

"Erm…_no_," Saihitei said smoothly. "It's not about us. Well, not entirely about us." And he went on to explain everything…about Miaka and Tamahome, himself and me…and a bandit named Shun'u Kou, better known in myth as the Suzaku no Shichiseishi Tasuki. He unwrapped Keisuke's find slowly, holding the heavy weapon out to Gen-chan, who accepted it with wide eyes. 

When he'd finished, we were welcomed by a dead, dangerous silence. And with growing dread, I realized that my hopes that he'd accept his past as I had were dead, as well. Genrou's eyes were hard, cold, and furious.

He stood up slowly, clenching the tessen in his fist, and grabbed my arm. "Fuckin psychopath," he shot at Saihitei, dragging me roughly up from the bench. "Yer a goddamn fuckin psychopath! What, ya got a goddamn cult of zealots that fuckin believes this shit?!"

"Gen-chan!" I protested with a yelp; his fingernails dug into my upper arm. But he ignored me, and shoved me behind him, backing us both away.

"Ya think it's fuckin funny, messin with kids like this? Well, I'll show ya fuckin _funny_, ya pansy-ass bastard! You fuckin come _near _him again, or _any _of my friends, and I'll tear you into so many fuckin pieces that not even your fuckin _teeth _will be big enough to identify you!"

"Gen-chan, _stop it_!!" I shouted. "He's not lying; it's true!! It's _true_!! I remember being there, too; let me _go_!!"

He yanked me back. "You have _no fuckin clue _what yer doin!!" he roared. "You don't fuckin _understand_; there are people out there who want to _hurt _people like you! This guy's no fuckin good; he's tryin to brainwash you into believing some bullshit story that…"

"It's not _bullshit_!!" I shouted back…and then, the strangest thing…a burning in my chest, fierce and hot… I tried once more to pull myself away from my friend's forceful grip, and this time…this time… Genrou went sprawling on the pavement, propelled by the force of my move. 

__

How the…what did I DO?? What the hell did I do??? Was that me??

His eyes were as wide as I knew mine were, and staring at my chest in unmasked alarm. Ever so slowly, I looked down and saw…glowing. Red light radiating from a mark below my left collarbone that had never been there before. I was frozen except for my heart, which was now pounding hard enough to shake my entire body; finally, after much effort, I yanked my eyes back to Gen-chan, panting on the sidewalk with a face full of horror. 

I made a gulping sound, trying to say _something_, I don't know exactly what; but before I could find the strength to do so, he'd scrambled to his feet, tessen still in hand, and ran off into the darkness.

TBC…

****

Notes: Well, drama quota for the chapter is present and accounted for… ~.~()Feel free to email me with questions or (polite) criticisms/suggestions: purplemouse105@hotmail.com. ^_^ Happy Two Days Before New Year!!


	12. The Strength of Belief

****

Disclaimers: Don't even.

****

Warnings: Sap, drama, blood and stuff; SHOUNEN AI!!!! **bright neon arrows pointing in former phrase's direction, hehe**

****

Notes: For the thousandth time, thank you SO MUCH, everyone who's reading! ^_^ And double thanks to people who reviewed. It really means a lot to me, y'know… **sniff** **dabs at eyes** No, I'm serious. I can only hope I'll reach your expectations with the rest of this story. ^_^ Have fun, everybody! 

****

ANOTHER STORY

Chapter Twelve:  
  
The Strength of Belief

Everything inside me screamed at me to go after him. But I couldn't. The best I could manage was staring after him, mouth half open, shouting at him mentally to come back, _please _come back, and hoping for some sort of special seishi telepathic connection. Unfortunately, the magical powers that came with the job description did not appear to include such flippant accessories.

I clutched at my chest with a trembling hand, finding that whatever had been glowing had faded away. Had I imagined it? No…Gen-chan had seen it, too, I was sure he had. _That's what scared him off. That's what made you so strong. _

That's why you could move that boulder, that time…

What time? When?…

He saw you glow red. He SAW you. Does he believe it now? 

There was suddenly worried breathing coming from above me; a large hand, warm despite the slightly cool weather, on my face, turning it gently to stare into anxious eyes. Golden eyes. _Really, they're so pretty…_

"Are you all right? Ryuuen?"

__

I am FAR from all right. I am VERY far from all right.

I gave a jerky little nod, trying to keep my lip from shaking and betraying me. Not that I wasn't already betrayed by my expression and position as a whole. Not that a little shaking of the lip would really make a difference where judging my state of all rightness was concerned. But whatever. "Knew he'd flip out," I murmured. _Just didn't count on this much, really._ _At least he didn't torch anything. But that's silly, isn't it. If he doesn't believe us, he's not gonna believe that Rekka Shinen thing of his will actually work._

Saihitei wrapped his arm around my shoulders and hugged me for a minute, for which I was grateful, even though I still wanted to pretend that I could look at the situation from a purely logical and unemotional perspective. He knew me better than that, though, I guess. Memories of me…of _Nuriko_, of who I'd been, what I'd hidden, probably tipped him off that a great deal of the time, when I claimed to be "all right," I really wasn't.

__

I wonder how much I've changed, from one life to the next. I wonder how much of me is me alone, and how much depends on my world, the events of my life…

"You had your powers back," said Saihitei. "Yanagi."

I frowned into his coat. "Wh…um, what?"

"Your seishi symbol." Pulling away, he tapped two fingers to his chest. "Yanagi. It appears when you're channeling your seishi powers. In your case, strength."

__

Dude…I could be a super hero!! ANDROGYNOUS BOY!!!! And his trusty sidekick, the voice inside his head.

"We should go after Genrou," I said in a feeble voice. _Saihitei doesn't seem that upset about what happened. Hm. _

"Well," he said, "you're the one who knows him the best. Do you think he'd be better off alone to deal with what just happened?"

__

Does he believe us now? Because normally, I'd say alone, but…this is too big…and it's not like it's stuff about his family or the school, it's US. It's ME. His best friend started going all radioactive and shoved him physically away, and pushed away his attempts to help, even though the help wasn't needed. I'm usually the one he vents to. I'm the only one he knows he doesn't have to act tough around, even though he does it anyway. 

Normally, I'd say alone, but…

"It's all right," Saihitei said calmly. "We'll find him."

About that time, I realized that he was hiding his worries over Genrou's outburst for _my _sake. Trying to be in control, because _one _of us had to be. But it had to have hurt him, to have one of his old companions rant and rave at him like that, and accuse him of trying to screw with my mind. 

__

I'm sorry. I'm sorry Gen-chan was so upset. I'm sorry I'm not strong, like you.

"I can't see him anywhere; he really took off." Saihitei peered down the street. "And it's certainly getting crowded down there."

"That's the direction of bartown," I sighed. "He's probably there somewhere. Drinking." _That way he'll be able to convince himself that it was only a dream, or else he won't remember anything at all. _

"Well then," said Saihitei, linking his arm through mine and patting my hand. "Shall we take in the pub scene?"

I nodded. _Trying to make me laugh. Wish I could. _"His favorite one's O'Brien's. We could stop in there. The only thing is, if he doesn't want us to find him, he's not gonna let himself be found. He's smart. He knows where I'd look."

We headed off toward O'Brien's Pub, about four or five blocks away. There was no parking at all in the immediate area, so Saihitei opted to leave his car in the lot of the frozen custard place for the time being.

__

I hope he's okay. We shouldn't have told him. I KNEW this would happen. Tessen or no tessen, we shouldn't have told him. My heart clenched tightly, because I _did _want him to know. But just because I personally wanted something, it didn't mean that it was necessarily the best thing. _Taka was right. We should have listened…_

"_Ryuuen_??? I didn't think you were the Saturday Night Barstool type!" called a voice from our left.

Looking up quickly, stopping so abruptly that I almost ran into some sorority girl with tight leather pants, I recognized Doukun and Myojuan approaching from across the street. "Ahhhh!!! I could say the same thing about _you _two!!" I exclaimed. "What, you're not studying??? Are you feeling all right?"

Doukun gestured to his backpack and raised an eyebrow. "_We're _going to the _coffeehouse_," he teased. 

"Are you feeling better since Wednesday night? How've you been?" Myojuan inquired.

"I'm…a lot better, thanks." 

"We're going to…O'Brien's," Saihitei told them, "if you'd care to come along."

Myojuan and Doukun looked at each other and shrugged. "It's really not our thing," Doukun said. "But O'Brien's isn't that bad. I suppose for a little while. We could get dinner there."

"True," said his taller friend. "It would be nice to eat something that isn't a cinnamon roll or…" he grimaced, "_tea bread_."

__

Wh…wh…what was he DOING??? Inviting these two to come hang out with us with Genrou still on the loose??? What would happen if we found him, and he started talking about what Saihitei had told him, and screwed these two up, as well???

"He'll be fine," Saihitei said under his breath as we headed down the street, dodging regulars with every step. "If he's there, we'll be careful…if not, like you said, he'd rather be on his own, anyway. I don't know much about Genrou, but if he's anything like Tasuki, he'll be fine."

Wordlessly, I gestured frantically at Doukun and Myojuan walking in front of us.

"Ah, yes, well…" he cleared his throat, "I was only being polite. I didn't actually think they would come along."

I stared at him incredulously.

"Sorry."

__

Ohhhhhhh, fantastic. 

But he's right. Gen-chan will be fine. He'll be FINE. He's an adult, he can take care of himself. 

Then why do I feel so bad? Is it just the frozen custard? 

You shouldn't feel bad, that's the bottom line. You're worried about him, and that's probably normal. But you gotta understand…

"He'll be _fine_," Saihitei repeated, as if sensing my feelings, placing a hand on my shoulder as we turned into the pub.

O'Brien's was a little place that reminded me of that bar from 'Good Will Hunting.' A sports bar, I guess you could call it; not one of those dancing places where the music was so loud you couldn't hear yourself think, and loose women in tight pants and inconsequential shirts partied drunkenly to techno music on the dance floor. The four of us flashed our driver's licenses at the bouncer and slid into one of the wooden booths; I scanned the crowd for Gen-chan, but, to my disappointment, didn't see him anywhere.

"What can I get you?" Doukun asked Myojuan, preparing to go up to the counter to order some food.

"Fish and chips, and a Sprite." Myojuan held out a ten-dollar bill, and Doukun accepted it and went on his merry way.

Saihitei made a little sound that sounded like it could have been a mini laugh. When I looked at him questioningly, he only shook his head. At a loss as to why my friend's order should be mini-laugh-worthy, I was about to shrug it off completely; but then…

…I remembered.

__

When we first met him, he fought Miaka for a fish. 

That's a really useful memory, you know. You could remember battles, conversations, relationships. But no. You remember fish.

Still, I suppose it's better than nothing…

"So," said Myojuan to Saihitei, "we didn't really have a chance to talk at Miaka's party, in between the movies and the swearing and the desperate cries for pizza delivery. How do you know Miaka and Taka?"

__

Good question!

"Taka and I…worked together over the summer," Saihitei explained. "We found out I had transferred to the school he was attending, which made us intentionally attempt to grow closer."

Myojuan nodded thoughtfully, and Doukun returned quickly with their food. They ate and we talked, and watched the drunk people have a rip-roaring good time. (At one point, some guy with spiky black hair dropped in on our table and insisted that the four of us raise our hands and exclaim "Woo-Hoo!!!" …Yeah. Drunk people are funny.) __We stayed there for about half an hour, and still no Gen-chan. When the other two had finished eating, Saihitei and I, resigned to defeat, walked back outside with them and headed toward the coffeehouse. 

"You could stay with us, if you wanted to study," Doukun suggested. "I suppose you won't have any books with you, though, now that I think about it."

"Thank you," said Saihitei graciously, "but I think we'll be…"

And the street exploded.

~*~

All right, so the _street _didn't actually explode. But the lonely diner _across _the street did.

The four of us, like everyone around us, were stricken into immobility, gaping at the flames that had suddenly erupted from the place. A few people screamed, and sirens were going off from somewhere… The heat crept across my face, like a mask of horror, and I knew…somehow, I just _knew_…

__

GENROU!!!!

"It's Genrou! _It's Genrou!!!_" I screamed, and ran toward the burning building.

__

Ran TOWARD the burning building????!!!!! Toward??? TOWARD???!!!!!!!

But we gotta find him! We gotta find him…oh god, he could be dead, he could be…

Across the empty parking lot, right up close to the flames…I saw something lying there, a body, pinned down by something heavy…

__

NO!!!!! NO, NO, NO!!!!!!!!!!! It's not him…it's not him!!! It's NOT!!!!

I ran over blindly with a wordless cry, sobbing in shock and apprehension, and slid to my knees before the still form, praying that it wouldn't be him, not him, anyone but him…

…And it wasn't. It wasn't him.

__

It's not him.

It was a dark-haired man, middle-aged, from what I could tell…unconscious, trapped beneath a large piece of wall. It was awful and selfish, but I was relieved… the smoke stung my eyes and added more force to my tears, and I just sat there, useless…

__

What do I do??? What do I do????!!!! Is he breathing? Maybe he's dead already! Maybe he's NOT just unconscious, maybe he's DEAD!! 

"It's all right! It's all right!!" An arm around my shoulders, keeping me steady; Saihitei, shouting to be heard over the screams and the sirens and the roar of the flames…

"H…Ho…" I began, trying to say his name; but he had taken control of the situation, and twisted me to look at him, his eyes burning fiercer than the fire.

"Ryuuen," he said—or rather, yelled. "Move the wall! Lift it off of him!"

__

What???!! How could I possibly??!

Wait! My powers… That willow symbol thing…

But I can't control when it comes! I can't control it! I can't do it!

I shook my head wildly. "I can't!!" I wailed. "I can't do it!!"

"You can!!"

"I _can't_!! Saihitei, I…"

"_Listen to me_!!" he exclaimed firmly, his grip on my arms tightening. "You _can_, and you _must_!! Otherwise he'll die!! He might still have a chance, but that depends on you! It all depends on you! You have to trust it!!! Trust _yourself, _for _once_!!!"

I turned to the fallen man, then looked pleadingly and wildly up at Saihitei. His face held nothing but open trust and love… And it suddenly hit me that…

__

He believes in me. He really thinks I have the strength. 

But I…I can't…

Try, then. Just TRY. If Hotohori-sama believes you can do it…the least you can do is try!

Clenching my teeth together, I lunged toward the injured man and grabbed the solid, rock-like slab that held him…

__

It won't work!

IT WILL WORK!!! IT WILL!!! BECAUSE I SAY IT WILL, GODDAMMIT!!!

I pulled upward, fully expecting my efforts to be met by firm opposition, a heavy weight that not even belief would budge. But then it happened…the burning, the glowing—even through my sweatshirt, I could see it glow—and the wall lifted, actually _lifted_, as if it had only been as big as a softball.

__

EEEeeheeeeeeeee????

I did it!!?? I DID IT!!!

What the hell do I do with the bloody thing???!! This power's gonna wear off and I'll be smooshed!! 

"All right…all right!" Saihitei's soothing voice in my ear. "You did it; everything's going to be all right! Just toss it away…and then it's done!"

Taking a few shuddery breaths, I did just that: tossed it. It landed with a moderately large tremor about fifty feet away from us.

__

Whoah. And to think the neighborhood kids never used to let me play baseball with them cuz I couldn't throw far enough.

The man I had freed was a mess…I don't think I'd ever seen anything like it. As a matter of fact, I _knew _I hadn't…it was like a movie. It was like we were in a movie, and this wasn't really happening at all. His chest looked as if it had been crushed; blood was seeping up through his shirt and pooling on the ground, creeping past my knees and soaking into my jeans… I wanted to move, to throw up…_both_, really…but I couldn't. I could just stare, and panic…

A large form burst into my field of vision, and through my stupor, I could see another red light, the exact same hue and tone as my own… Saihitei scooted over and enveloped me in his arms, forcing my attention away from the blood, for which I could never be grateful enough. I was shaking so hard, it was like being in a go-cart, or something…

"Shh," he said, close to my ear. "Look." I shook my head, not wanting to see that sight again…but his fingers tipped my chin up, and I looked…and saw the man I had tried to save. 

There was no blood.

There was no hollowness to his chest.

And he was…slowly…blinking his eyes.

My own eyes, peeled wide, more astounded than I had ever been in my entire life, raised up to see the familiar figure of Myojuan sitting to his side, peering at the man intently; his face was suddenly drawn and haggard, reflecting the orange and red of the fire I was so certain Genrou had caused. Clutching me even closer with his left arm, Saihitei abandoned me with his right, stretching it out to rest on Myojuan's shoulder. Myojuan gave a start, looking up quickly, violet eyes both familiar and confused…

"Mitsukake," Saihitei said in a whisper that was barely heard over the stereo sound in the background, and gave the man's shoulder a squeeze. "You're back."

TBC…

****

Notes: Ummmmmmmmmm, yeah….I apologize for the melodrama. I'm so bad at doing action scenes. Ick. And I'm sorry this chapter's a little shorter than it's supposed to be, but I thought it was a good place to end, and Kaze-chan agreed with me. ^_^ So you can either blame me (which is not encouraged) or her (which would be okay, I guess). ^_^ hee hee. Sorry the past few chapters haven't really been as funny as the first ones, because I _do _like doing funny stuff… ~.~()

****

  
ANOTHER STORY AKUGI!!! (GAH! I forgot to do one last time!!)

Ryuuen: **narrating** …And the wall lifted, actually _lifted_, as if it had been only the size of a softball. Which was really all in a day's work for… 

**cue heroic trumpet music**

****

Ryuuen: **reappearing in stylish costume**ANDROGYNOUS BOYYYYY!!!! Prettier than a girl without makeup… Able to make both men and women fall for his glorious physical appeal…he defends the citizens of Earth from the evil forces of bigots everywhere!!!!! Soon to be a major motion picture starring Orlando Bloom…

****

Orlando Bloom: HEYYYY!!!! I'm not _really _androgynous!! They did that on purpose; it's an elf thing!!

^_^

(Oh, yeah…for anyone who doesn't know, Orlando Bloom plays Legolas in 'The Fellowship of the Ring,' which is a FANTASTIC movie. If you haven't seen it already, then go!! Now!!! What are you waiting for????!!! ^_^ ) 

(No, seriously. I've seen it four times!!! Not like I'm a nerd, or anything…)


	13. Since When?!!

****

Warnings: Shounen sap, normal sap, inconsequential paragraphs, melodrama and stuff

****

Notes: Hope you guys like this chapter… ~.~() eheh. Thanks for reading it even if you don't! Have fun!

****

Dedications: This chapter is dedicated to all the LotR fangirls/fanboys out there!! And ESPECIALLY to everyone who likes Pippin with his cool Scottish accent, and feels bad when people tease him for being accident prone and just a tad bit slow to catch on. **sniff** Seriously, I feel so bad every time Gandalf calls him a "fool of a Took." Poor Pipsqueak. ^_^ Anyhoo, later, everybody!

****

ANOTHER STORY

Chapter Thirteen:

Since When?!!

Myojuan returned his gaze to the man he had…healed?…and blinked. He took a few deep, calming breaths before quietly inquiring, "How…"

I felt Saihitei sigh. _Yes, _I thought, _that means he doesn't get it, and you're gonna have to explain the whole thing yet AGAIN. Or at least, someone is. And where's Gen-chan?? Where'd he go? Is he okay??_

Three distinct siren noises—fire truck, police car, ambulance—circled in around us, and the middle-aged man lying on the ground looked up at us, dazed.

"You're all right, sir," Myojuan assured him. "Just hold still. The ambulance is here." But we all knew he didn't need one. He didn't even have a scratch on him. Even the red stains on my jeans had disappeared.

The firemen went in with their hoses, shouting instructions at each other; a bunch of guys with stretchers raced over to the four of us. Doukun had been lost in the crowd; he'd probably been doing something sensible, like actually _calling _the fire department, even though those places were supposed to have radars and stuff like that anyway. 

__

Where's Genrou?!! 

"Move back, move back!" the paramedics instructed. "Let us in!!!"

"None of us are hurt," Hotohori-sama attempted to tell them, but they didn't listen. They did a quick check over Middle-Aged Guy, and found nothing.

"This man's perfectly fine!" one of them exclaimed. Saihitei smiled at them blandly; they stared at him for a sec, then hurried off to the other side of the building. Some other paramedic guys without stretchers approached us then, and instructed us to please follow them into the ambulance. 

"None of us are injured," Saihitei said _again_, sounding as if his patience was wearing the slightest bit thin.

"That may very well be, sir, but it would be better if we could at least take a look at you," said one of the men kindly.

__

They probably get a lot of patients who are in shock, or something, and don't realize they're hurt. It's no big deal if we go with them. They won't find anything, and they'll figure it out soon enough.

Apparently, Saihitei understood this, as well. He climbed slowly to his feet, pulling me up with him (since I was rather firmly attached to him at the moment), and nodded. Myojuan, meanwhile, was helping Middle-Aged Guy carefully to his feet. The latter accepted his assistance, staring around at everyone and then down at himself, looking like he'd just woken up from a very strange dream…or else, looking like he was _in _one.

"I…I'm not hurt!" he exclaimed.

Saihitei's body tensed in mild irritation, and I gave a breathy, pathetic giggle. We piled into the back of the ambulance along with the polite paramedic and trundled off to the hospital; I sat against my boyfriend (rather weaker "eheheh" this time, due to the fact that I was post-panic and exhausted as hell) and worried.

"Gen-chan," I rasped out as he tried to wipe the ash from my face.

"He'll be fine. They have about a dozen paramedics over there. If he's hurt, they'll take care of him."

A sudden bolt of fear shot through me. _Oh, no…what if Myojuan healed that perfect stranger and Genrou was lying there too somewhere, waiting for us to come?? What if he's dead because we saved this other guy instead??!! A life is a life, I know, but goddammit, he's my FRIEND…_

"I feel just like Bruce Willis in 'Unbreakable!'" announced Middle-Aged Guy, completely out of the blue.

Myojuan, Saihitei, the nice paramedic and I turned slowly to stare at him.

"The entire building exploded! I was on the way to my car, minding my own business… Something fell on me! I'm _sure _of it! But _look _at me: I'm perfectly all right!! I wonder if I have an evil nemesis with a big head somewhere…" He trailed off and grew pensive.

Myojuan looked over at us, raised an eyebrow, and shrugged.

There were a few more minutes of silence, during which I began to ponder whether Genrou had actually started the fire, or if I'd just automatically assumed he had because of the tessen and the fact that we were worried about him. I was about to ask Saihitei what he thought, when…

"I didn't know people like me existed!" Middle-Aged Guy mused. "Doesn't it seem like something out of a comic book? Well, sure…that's what 'Unbreakable' was about, after all… I should write a letter to M. Night Shamayalan! Wouldn't he be interested to know that I exist??!!"

Quiet again. My friend the med student was looking like he was regretting having saved the guy at all. 

"I wonder how I broke my leg in eighth grade, if I'm immune to physical harm."

__

SHUT UP!!! IT WASN'T YOU!!! It was US who saved you!! Us!! UUUUUUUSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In my imagination, I dashed across the small space between us and soundly throttled the annoying megalomaniac. 

"Maybe it's something that develops gradually. Maybe they got that part wrong in the film, and it…"

"Sir," said Myojuan. "I don't mean to be rude, but…you've been through a shock. Please. Try to relax."

"_Please,_" chorused Saihitei, the Paramedic, and I.

He fell silent and gave us a timid grin, but, to the benefit of all present, shut up for the rest of the trip. If he hadn't, we might have been forced to do something drastic. 

I wanted to stay with Saihitei when we got to the emergency room, but they wouldn't let me. I was ushered into a small "chamber" surrounded by a curtain, where a female East Indian doctor made me take off my shirt and looked surprised to see that my chest was flat. She recovered more admirably than most, though, and asked me all sorts of questions about where I was when the fire broke out, if I felt any difficulty breathing, yadda yadda yadda… The diagnosis was that I was perfectly fine except for a rapidly emerging, finger-shaped bruise on my upper arm, left over from my encounter with Gen-chan.

She frowned.

__

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh noooooooooooo, I moaned in my head. _She'll think I'm a victim of domestic abuse, or something. This could get messy. Better make something up. Think think think…_

"Looks like someone was gripping you pretty hard, here," she said gently, but in a tone that demanded an explanation.

I pretended to have just noticed the marks. "Oh! Jeez… That must be from Saihitei. When I saw the thing explode, I ran over right away; Saihitei tried to pull me back." Concentrating hard, I attempted to send her psychic brainwaves that would force her to believe me. Hey, it was a believable story! More believable than the truth, which would probably land me with an abuse counselor.

"Saihitei's one of the other men who was brought in with you?"

I nodded.

"Missss_TER _Chou…why did you run toward the fire to begin with? Believe it or not, it's a dangerous pastime." She gave me a small smile, and motioned for me to put my shirt back on.

__

PHEW.

What now? The truth?

Truth'll have to do…well, maybe a LITTLE embellishment wouldn't hurt…

"My best friend had headed in that direction just a little while before it… happened," I told her. "When the fire started, I panicked, I guess…" _Heh…THAT much is true. Panic-prone imbecile. _"…I saw someone lying there in the parking lot, and I thought it might be him." _OH!!! Ask her if Genrou's here! She might know!! Ask her!! _"Is he here? His name's Genrou Kou, he's my age, with orange hair?"

She thought for a while, then shook her head. "I'm sorry; I couldn't say. I don't think so, but anyone who's seen ER knows how crazy it can get in here sometimes." I smiled. "Well, apart from being slightly sooty, you're perfectly fine. You can go have a seat in the waiting room until your friends are ready."

I thanked her and headed out. _Okay…so Gen-chan probably isn't here. Does that mean he wasn't even around when the diner caught fire? Or does that mean he's lying somewhere in a charred heap of…oooookay, STOP. Not going there. Not…even…going there. Think I need some of that Paxil stuff we keep seeing commercials for? 'When I'm at work, I worry about things at home… When I'm at home, I worry about things at work. I thought I was just a worrier!' BUT NO!!! It could be a chemical imbalance. I might need medication. Hm. Something ELSE to worry about. 'Do I REALLY have a chemical imbalance, or are the circumstances surrounding my worry a good enough excuse?'_

As it turned out, Saihitei and Myojuan were already in the waiting area, looking dirty and tired, slumped in worn blue-vinyl chairs; Myojuan was thoughtfully studying the palm of his left hand, and Saihitei was looking through children's books.

"Interesting stuff?" I raised my eyebrow.

They looked up quickly, and stood to greet me. "Everything all right?"

I nodded. "You guys didn't see Gen-chan being hauled in here, did you?"

Saihitei and Myojuan looked at each other, then shook their heads; I sighed despondently. "Maybe he didn't start it, after all, then. Maybe he wasn't even there."

"Excuse me?!" said Myojuan. "You think _Genrou _started the fire?"

"Which might not be the best thing to discuss at this exact moment and location," mumbled Saihitei.

Myojuan fell silent, _unlike _a certain voice inside my head that suddenly burst into song: _We didn't start the fire! It was always burnin since the world's been…_

SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GOD DAMN YOU!!!!!!!!

"Here's a question," I said quickly, before the spirit of Billy Joel could possess me again. "How the heck are we gonna get home? Your car's still over at Curly's Custard Cup."

Saihitei shot me a suave smile and dug a cell phone out of his pocket. "Modern technology. We don't have to send messages by pigeon anymore."

"You guys! You're okay; thank goodness!"

__

Doukun? 

We turned and, sure enough, there he was, rushing toward us with a relieved expression on his face. "Thank goodness!" he repeated. "What were you _thinking_, rushing at that burning building like that?! Such behavior is not conductive to a long and healthy existence!" His relief turned to a semi-dangerous glare, directed mostly at me. 

"Eheh…sorry," I said meekly. "But…no harm done, right?"

"Except to my _nerves_," he frowned, folding his arms across his chest. "Well, anyway…I raced back and got my car, thinking you guys would probably be in need of transportation when they were finished with you."

"Wonderful," said Saihitei happily, and put his phone away. "Can you drop us off at CCC so I can get my car?"

"Did you see Genrou anywhere?" I asked eagerly.

Doukun looked surprised. "Genrou? Was he even there?"

__

I guess NOT, then. But he WAS there…I could swear it was him that did it. Him and that stupid tessen of his, which should never be combined with his awful temper. We've loosed a firebug on the city. Heaven help us. We're literally toast.

"He's been arrested," said a voice.

And there was Houjun, grim-faced, more serious than I'd ever seen him in the short time we'd known each other. 

"H-how'd you get here?!" I stuttered.

"Same way as everyone else, you know," he said. 

"But you don't have a car!"

"So I borrowed one. But that isn't the point. The point _is_…"

"Gen-chan's been _arrested_?!" 

"Precisely," he nodded. "Thank you. They think he started the thing. Which he _did_, or else I'm completely blind. Leave it to Tasuki to get himself into this much trouble that's so difficult to… But someone needs to go down and bale him out, or do _something_."

Nodding, Doukun tapped Saihitei's arm. "Why don't you come with me, and I'll get you to your car…then we'll all reconvene at the station. I'll stop by Taka's to tell those two what's up."

"I'll go along," said Myojuan softly. "I have to ask you something."

__

There it is. Good luck, Saihitei…try not to make this one go on a destructive rampage, would ya?

"You and me, then," said Houjun to me, and I nodded. We bid each other brief farewells and headed to the parking garage; Houjun had taken Taka's car, whether with his permission or not, I didn't know. We were silent as we drove, probably pondering the same exact thing: how were we supposed to account for Gen-chan's behavior? If someone saw him use his tessen, how were we supposed to explain what he had done? Maybe we could make it sound so incredibly farfetched that it couldn't _possibly _be _OH MY GOD, HOUJUN CALLED HIM TASUKI!!!!!_

"_Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh_!!!!!!!" I exclaimed in surprise, startling Houjun so that he actually swerved a bit on the midnight road. 

"What?! What's wrong?!"

I stared at him with eyes like satellite dishes. _Did I misunderstand?! Why the hell didn't he tell us before??!! Does he really know??!! Why didn't he SAY SOMETHING?!! _

Houjun looked over at me quickly, then turned back to the windshield. "Ryuuen, are you all right?"

__

Funny. People always ask me that, and the answer is always no, but I always say…

"_NO, I'm not_ _all right_!!!"

__

Hoo. Didn't see that coming. Never mind.

"You _know_, don't you??!!! You were Suzaku no Shichiseishi Chichiri, and you _know _that!!! Why the _hell _didn't you tell us???!!!"

His jaw clenched the slightest bit, but his eyes grew suddenly sad, still fixed out the window. 

__

Calm down, Ryuuen…just calm down. He must have had his reasons.

"I had my reasons," he said.

__

See? Told you so.

"But…" I wasn't shouting anymore, having been reduced to a confused, sentimental bundle of feelings that were, on the whole, a little hurt. "But, _why_? Were you afraid we wouldn't believe you? But that's silly, because you knew Miaka! You _had _to have known _she'd _remember!"

Houjun swallowed, and I waited about a minute for him to actually say something. "I didn't mean to mislead anyone," he said firmly. "I just…I don't want those memories back."

"Why?!"

Something flashed across his face, and he jerked his head toward me. "I killed my best friend, Nuriko," he snapped. "That's not exactly something you want to be left with in your next life, now, _is _it?!"

I fell silent, mouth agape.

"I got rid of them…it took a lot of head-shrinking, but I finally got rid of them. Then what happens? I meet Miaka at school. I tried to keep away from her, but goddammit, she was my _friend_…and I wanted you back, all of you. I thought we could still be friends without having to remember the past; I didn't think she'd tell me about my other life if she thought I didn't know. And it would have been fine, _perfect_, even, if Hotohori hadn't gotten himself involved, and spilled it to all of you. Or some of you. It doesn't matter."

Something swelled up inside me, then exploded with shattering force.

"You're _still _hiding from it!!" I shouted angrily. "You're still hiding behind that stupid mask! Don't you _get it_?? It's in the _past_!! It's _over_!! For heaven's sake, _deal with it_!!" _You know, you really shouldn't argue with someone who's driving…_

"You're one to talk!" he shot back. "I might have killed my best friend, but at least I didn't start _dressing _like him!"

"At least _I _was able to _put the past behind me_!!!" _Since when do you remember this much? Do you even know what you're talking about??!! _"I was able to _let go _of my mask!! You just _hid_ behind yours and…"

"A lot of good it did you, huh??!!! A _whole lot _of damn good!! What's the point of starting a new life if you're only gonna go and get yourself killed by a goddamn werewolf not two days later?!!"

I felt his words like a slap in the face. They always say that in the books, but it's true; that's what it feels like sometimes. A slap in the face, and like a hand squeezing my heart so hard that it was almost too much to bear.

__

He never told me…he never told me that's what happened… He said I died, but… not like that. Not like that. I can see…snow…and one eye, one yellow eye…only one, and that was my fault somehow…If I didn't stop him, he would've hurt my friends. Miaka. Tasuki. Chichiri… Better that he hurt me, instead…better me than them, any day of the week…

He'd pulled off the road.

"N-Nuriko."

No hint of anger in his voice now. He just sounded tired.

"I…I'm sorry…I…"

__

God dammit to hell…there I go, crying again. 

"You see?" I made myself say, my voice shaking. "Even now, I'm glad I remember. I don't regret having Hotohori-sama tell me the truth. I don't regret what you just said. Because like it or not, it's a part of who I _am_. You can't forget the bad stuff, it just doesn't work that way. You just have to overshadow it with good stuff, _good _memories. The past can hurt, but you…you have to be able to look back and laugh at your problems! That's the only way to show them who's boss."

__

Fantastic speech. Encore. Encore.

I swiped my sleeve across my eyes, willing myself to stop being such a baby. _Well, so what if it was melodramatic; it's true! It's TRUE. _

Houjun's eyes had cleared, and while I didn't _really _expect him to say anything, I _certainly _didn't think he'd hug me. But he did. I didn't remember a great deal about Chichiri (other than all the stuff I'd just spouted from the depths of my past memory that had chosen to surface without warning), but I was fairly certain he hadn't been that much of a touchy-feely kinda guy. 

__

Maybe that means he'll get better. I hope so. 

"You're really you, aren't you?" said Houjun.

"I like to think so," I sniffed.

He took a deep breath and sighed. "I wish I knew who _I _really was."

"You will," I promised. 

__

We'll help you. The bad stuff doesn't seem that bad if you have friends who understand.

"You will."

TBC…

****

Notes: Was that a surprise, kinda sorta? ~.~() Maybe? Does Chichiri seem out of character? Kaze-chan says no, but I'm very unused to writing Chichiri. This angsty "Oh God, I Killed Hiccup!! (a.k.a. Hikou)" thing makes sense to me, but I'm not the best person to make the judgment, no da. Sorry for the sap and the Big Dramatic Mask Conversation. **shrug** What can I say. ^_^

ANOTHER STORY AKUGI!!!! ****

Ryuuen: You're still hiding behind that stupid mask!

****

Houjun: **dressed as the Easter Bunny** N…Nuriko??? What're you doing here???!!!

****

Ryuuen: Take it off, I say!!! Don't hide anymore!! **tries to pull off the mask**

****

Houjun: Gahhhhhhh, _stop it_!!!!!! This is my _job_, you idiot!!!!

****

People at the Mall: **waiting in line to see the Easter Bunny** **blink blink**

****

Ryuuen: _You can't hide from the past!!!!!!! _**yanks it off**

****

Houjun: **exposed** Aahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!

****

Traumatized Children: **burst into tears**

****

Ryuuen: Ehehehehehehe….oops.

****

Houjun: ~.~()


	14. The Frozen Custard Made Me Do It!!!

****

Disclaimers: Tarzan…no…own…cartoon.

****

Warnings: Shounen ai, moderate sap, _weird weird weird _dream sequence (but it made my friend laugh, so I guess it works, hehe), even weirder Another Story Akugi at the end. **giggles** It's late. Sugar and caffeine levels are high. And if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce, it tastes more like prunes than rhubarb does. (Quote courtesy of Groucho Marx, who apparently was _also _on a constant sugar/caffeine high. ^_^ )

****

Harpo: **Honk honk!!**

Make that _two _hard-boiled eggs!

****

Notes: Mouse-chan is very scary. She hasn't even been _watching _Marx Brothers movies, and yet, she seems to have devoted this introduction to quoting them and talking about herself in the third person. BUT ANYWAY… I'm SO incredibly happy that you guys like this! ^_^n You guys are way too nice, though…well, anyway…I hope this chapter's okay. I'm sorry so many of you are sick (Kokkei and Kryssa et al), and maybe by the time I post this you'll be feeling better. ^___^ And Butterfly Ishida, hehe… "Seishi Bitch Fight" is now the unofficial name of Chapter Thirteen. ^_^ Have fun, everyone! 

****

ANOTHER STORY

Chapter Fourteen:

The Frozen Custard Made Me Do It!!!

It was late when we finally got to the police station. I mean _really _late. Not "Gee, I just looked at the clock and it's a little past my bedtime" late. It was "Even the pizza places are closed now" late. 

Now, lateness is relative, especially when one happens to be a college student. So perhaps the lateness would not be considered fantastically late by some of the above, who stay glued to their computers until five o'clock in the morning six or seven days a week. But to the average joe, and even for most college students, three o'clock in the morning was pretty darn late.

We had driven there in silence, Houjun probably pondering THE PAST (in all capitals, as it's fairly important), and me…well…if I would've tried to do that, I would have fallen asleep. So. My exhausted mind decided to follow a slightly different circle of thought.

__

I wonder why people are so obsessed with hugging me lately.

I don't think I've EVER been hugged so many times in such a short period of time, and by such a variety of people. Sure, there's Miaka, but she doesn't count. Saihitei seems to think that if he doesn't hug me at least twenty-five times a day, I'll disappear or turn to dust or forget everything he's told me. And Gen-chan even hugged me once, before Kouji became a potential witness. And now Houjun-slash-Chichiri, too. We're just an emotional bunch.

As long as Chuin doesn't try, I suppose, I'll be okay.

My family wasn't exactly the hugging type; I'd grown up in my own little circle of personal space. Maybe normal families were _all _huggy like that. Maybe that was the normal way to be.

Maybe not.

__

Well, it's not like I mind it. Hehe. I guess it's kinda comf…

"It's closed," said Houjun.

I blinked, hitting the stop button on my rambling mind. "Huh?"

"The police station's closed."

Squinting up at the sign on the door of the brick building next to which he'd pulled up, I saw it, too: HOURS: 5 a.m.—Midnight. And then, in small red print under the numbers, "No visitors past 12:00 a.m."

I breathed out a sigh of disappointment, certain my brow had begun to crease in worry. 

"We might've known," said Houjun, trying to seem unperturbed and cheerful. Given all that had happened, both between us and to Gen-chan, he wasn't one hundred percent successful, and it came out rather weakly.

__

So Genrou's in there, locked away in a cell somewhere… Cold and lonely and confused, with no one who understands him, no one he can talk to…

"Only two hours until five o'clock," Houjun said. "We can wait, if you want."

I refrained from pointing out that if we didn't sleep all night and then tried to get in to see Gen-chan, the police officers would think they were being attacked by the Living Dead. Myojuan and Saihitei drove up beside us not much later, and I felt like I was about to pass out, I was so tired.

__

Sleep. Sleep is good. Two whole hours before place opens.

Saihitei and Houjun were having a conversation from the drivers' seats about the Situation, and I peered over blearily at Saihitei's handsome, attentive face.

__

Pillow.

Without bothering to think things through at all, I exited Taka's car, opened Saihitei's door, climbed onto his lap, and promptly fell asleep.

__

Well, if he can be randomly touchy-feely, I can be, too, I thought as I drifted off. _Hehehe, I think I must've surprised him_… 

~*~

I was alone, dressed in a strange, old-fashioned blue tuxedo…The night sky hung above me, the darkness had engulfed me… I took a deep breath, looked at the moon, and heard the London Symphony Orchestra begin to play…and I started…SINGING. __

"Never knew…I could feel like this…  
Like I've never seen the sky before.  
Want to vanish inside your kiss.  
Every day, I love you more and more…" Great God, what the hell was happening? Dream sequence? What the hell? Something out of Oklahoma!! If I start dancing, I'll die in my sleep.

But then Saihitei appeared in a matching tux, and all weirdness was forgotten as I launched into the second verse. Damn 'Moulin Rouge,' damn addictive, brainwashing movie…

"Listen to my heart, can you hear it sing?  
Telling me to give you everything!  
Seasons may change, winter to spring…  
But I love you until the end…of…time.

Come what may…  
Come what may…  
I will love you until my dyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyying day!!!"

I must be on drugs or something. Frozen custard = weird dreams. He took my hand and wrapped his arm around my waist…and hey, there was the floor, Beauty and the Beast style ballroom floor, and…we danced…and he sang.

"Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place,  
Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace  
Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste…  
It all revolves around you."

Hey, he's got a pretty nice voice. Kind of a Kermit the Frog Soft Palate Up syndrome, but really quite nice. Just like this is nice, I thought, but weird. Wake up.

"And there's no mountain too high…"

I KNOW the damn song! Wake up wake up wake up wake up!!!

"No river too wide…"

The goddamn moon's gonna start singing soon if you don't wake up!!!

Well, think of it this way; at least you're not dreaming of being in a Lady Marmalade music video thing. I know I used to be a cross-dresser, but that would just be disturbing. 

"Watermelon!" exclaimed Saihitei happily, and the world went all white and shiny…

~*~

"Wkup…wkup…" __

Hand on head. Hand on hair. 

"Seems to me like you're already up."

__

Don't you dare start singing.

Prying my eyes open, I found myself looking at Myojuan. He was smiling faintly.

__

We in a car? Ohhhh yeah…that's right. Zit five o'clock yet?

"I take it you two are going together?" said the big med student.

Raising a fist to my eye, I started to sit up, then realized I was in quite an… unusual…position. For a moment, I just sat there (_on his lap on his lap on his lap how the hell did you get here??!!!_) silently, blinking at Saihitei's smiling face.

"Sleep well?" he inquired politely.

"Did I get here by myself?" 

He nodded.

"Uhhhhhmmmmmm…sorry!" _WHAT WERE YOU THIIIIIIIINKIIIIIING????!!!! _"Sorry, sorry sorry…I didn't, I mean…I was tired, and…the custard…" I scrambled off his lap, opening the car door and hopping into the street. "WELL…" _Ignore it, just ignore it. Be cool. Think Paul Newman. _"What time is it?"

"Time to get a new watch!!" said Miaka.

__

Okay. So she and Taka are here, too…that means probably Doukun, as well. 

Yup, there he was, leaning against his own dilapidated car.

__

And nobody knows that Houjun knows except for me.

Well, aren't you special.

Shut up.

He'd said he'd tell them, and that he'd tell them soon. I wished he would do it ASAP, like _this afternoon_, or something, because I was afraid I'd accidentally spill the beans and make him all paranoid and untrusting. 

"Nearly time," said Saihitei. "Five minutes or so."

"We shouldn't all go in at once," said Taka. "They might not like that."

"Let me go in, please?" I said quickly. I had to see Gen-chan, to make sure he was all right. After spending the last five hours in a state of almost constant worry, now that we were so close to seeing him, I felt I would lose what little sanity I had left if I couldn't.

"And me," said Doukun. "I'll go. I'm pretty familiar with legal procedures. Maybe I can help out somehow." 

Saihitei nodded, and reached for his wallet. "Here…there probably won't be bail, since he's presumably been arrested for arson…but if there is, take this and pay it." He dug a pen from his coat pocket and scribbled out a check. "Just fill in whatever amount they ask for."

__

Dude…is he rich? Is my boyfriend RICH??? Well, for crying out loud, he DOES have an ACURA… Holy crap!! Major feeling of unworthiness making stealth attack on brain…

Doukun took it and nodded back at him. 

And a police car pulled into the parking lot.

We all stared at the tall, thin man who emerged from the vehicle, fumbling with his keys and making his way toward the door of the place. It took him a while to notice us, but when he did, he stopped in his tracks.

"You guys waiting for something?" he asked.

__

No. We're just standing out here at five in the morning for kicks.

"One of our friends is being held here," said Doukun. "We'd like to speak to someone about bail, and his situation as a whole."

He nodded. "I can arrange that, I s'pose…mite early fer kids to be out, innit?"

Shrugging, Doukun and I followed him up the steps; he unlocked the door, and the three of us stepped into the building.

"So, this pal of yers, he picked up fer drinkin?"

"Not exactly," I mumbled.

He led us into a small room with only a desk and a bunch of file cabinets to occupy it. There was a guy with glasses sitting behind the desk, engrossed in paperwork, about half a dozen empty Styrofoam coffee cups sprawled haphazardly in front of him.

"Hey, Sergeant…coupla kids to see ya," said Policeman Number One.

The Sergeant lifted red-rimmed, pale blue eyes to Doukun and me, and blinked behind his glasses. "Already?"

"Gonna go check in. When's yer shift end, like seven?"

"Yes." The guy behind the desk cleared his throat as Policeman Number One shot us a wave and made his way out. "Well…what can I do for you kids?" He was squinting, probably because he was as tired as we were, and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

Doukun explained what had happened, and who we'd come for.

"Hm," said the Sergeant. "Red-headed arsonist. No irony there. No, sir. Well, I'm afraid there's not a whole lot I can do…"

My heart sank, even though we'd figured as much. "Can we see him, at least? Please?"

"See him? I suppose so. Follow me, he's right through here…" Standing, he ushered us through the same door the other guy'd gone through, which led into a long row of cells. "He's in that one, right at the end," he indicated, and I immediately hurried over; Doukun stayed behind with the Sergeant, presumably to haggle or debate laws or something.

__

Gen-chan!

Genrou was sitting near the bars, his back to the wall, head tilted back, studying the cracks in the cement across the way. He had heavier bags under his eyes than normal, and looked almost eerily sad and sedate. 

I fell to my knees beside him, hands on the bars of his cell, my sigh of relief having left me completely devoid of any power to keep myself standing. "Gen-chan?"

With a tiny frown, his head rolled to face me. 

__

At least he's not panicking anymore.

"Ryuuen," he said hoarsely, after a moment spent studying my face. "Ryuuen, I…I didn't mean to. Shit, I didn't think it would actually work. Who would believe a thing like that, anyway?"

"It's not your fault," I told him slowly, keeping my voice quiet so that the whole place couldn't hear me. "You didn't hurt anyone. And you didn't mean for it to happen." _He's hardly cussing at all. Crap. That means he's gotta be pretty shaken up._

"Who would believe a thing like that?" he mused almost drunkenly, returning his eyes to the far wall. 

"G-Gen-chan…" _Maybe this isn't the right time to start this, but I don't know what else to say! _"Saihitei wasn't…he was telling the truth. He's not trying to corrupt me, or anything. Or you."

He closed his eyes. "I know. Think I could see what the goddamn fan thing did to that building and _still _not believe it? I'm not an idiot."

My hands fell to my lap, and I curled my legs up beneath me. "I'm just sorry we couldn't find a better way…"

"Ryuu-chan. You're not the one who torched the damn place. _I _am." He gave the tiniest of smiles, and a canine poked out from under his lip. "And I…I guess I can be kind of a pain sometimes, always actin like yer goddamn mom. But I just…I couldn't take it if anything happened to ya, man. I wasn't there last time, and look what happened. I wasn't there ta protect ya, and just _look _at the awful shit that happened…I couldn't take goin through that hell again."

__

Last time?

"You…you mean, that thing with Chuin?" I said stupidly.

He raised an eyebrow and looked at me again. "Goddammit. _No_. I was tryin to think of a fuckin subtle way to tell you I've been rememberin stuff. Ever since you guys decided to drop the fuckin bomb, I've had stuff popping into my brain. Emotional shit, ya know. Nothin solid. Except…I remember you dyin." He shivered. "Fuckin great way to start."

__

Dying. Houjun said it was on a mountain somewhere.

"I don't," I murmured softly.

"Huh?"

"I don't. Remember dying, I mean," I clarified, barely above a whisper. _His emotions carried over into his next lives!! How cool is that??? He couldn't protect me back then, so he does now!! Awwww, how sentimental and squishy!! But really, it's kinda depressing…with this and with Houjun…it must be kind of a bummer to remember all this traumatic stuff. I mean, jeez…when one dies, one would assume that one would be rid of all their troubles. _

People…regretted it, when I died. How can that make me feel happy and sad at the same time? 

"Don't know if ya _wanna _fuckin remember," Gen-chan said ruefully. "Not that. Yer own death? What, ya fuckin nuts or somethin?"

"Have you ever had a dream where it seemed like you were in a music video?" I asked seriously.

"What the _hell_, Ryuuen??!!"

"You know," I explained, "where you start singing and dancing and stuff?"

The appalled look in his eyes told me that, _no, _he had _not _had such dreams, and would likely have overdosed on sleeping pills if he _had_. 

"Never mind," I said quickly, but my mission had been accomplished: the mood had been lightened. 

"I'm in a fuckin _jail cell_, and you're fuckin blabbin to me about shit like _that_??!!!"

"Will you guys simmer down? You're not helping," said Doukun, suddenly appearing beside us. 

I looked up at him anxiously. "Well?? What did he say?" _Doukun doesn't know about anything yet. Just keep that in mind. Don't be a moron._

"He said there are two witnesses who allegedly saw Genrou set the place on fire with some kind of big torch-like thing," Doukun frowned. "But that's ridiculous, really, since there's _no way _something that small could've ignited an entire building like that. And even if it could, Genrou wouldn't have been able to get a hold of it, given the fact that he is not now and has never been James Bond."

Gen-chan glowered at him through the bars.

"So no bail, then?" 

Doukun sighed, then looked over at the Sergeant; I did the same. 

What we saw was slightly surprising.

He'd never really come off as the big, macho, donut-eating policeman type, but at the moment he was staring at us in confusion, arms hanging limply, not seeming to notice that we were staring back at _him_.

__

Dude, is he possessed or something?!!

But he frowned suddenly, gave a slight shake of his head, cleared his throat, and stepped over to stand behind us, his hand reaching for his keys. "You're right," he mumbled. "You're absolutely right. It's ridiculous. No one could have done that, least of all a college kid like this." Slipping us a small, nervous smile, he shoved a key in the lock of Gen-chan's cell and twisted it; Gen-chan scrambled to his feet in unmasked shock, mouth agape, mirroring Doukun's and my expression. 

"Um…ah…" said Doukun, trying to come up with something brilliant to say, but apparently finding his stash of brilliant sayings somewhat empty at the moment.

The door creaked open, and the Sergeant stepped back. 

For the longest time, the three of us just stood there, staring at the open door as if we'd never seen a door before. Genrou moved his eyes rapidly between us and the police officer, a suspicious look beginning to bloom on his face, conveying to the rest of us that he wasn't sure he should take the step from cell to hall, worried it might be some sort of trap to trump up the charges against him, or something.

"You're…free to go," said the Sergeant, as if surprising himself with his own words. 

We all stared at him _some more_.

"R…really?" I squeaked finally.

He nodded, and shot a glance down the hall. "You're absolutely right. It's ridiculous. A little thing like that making a building explode. It was quite an old building, wasn't it? Old buildings like those get gas leaks all the time, and especially in a diner, with grease and fast food equipment lying all around… As for the so-called 'witnesses,' well…they were more than slightly intoxicated."

He was met with our disbelieving, wide-eyed faces, waiting for him to announce that, oh, whoops, he was joking. But he never did.

__

Holy mother of God, he's actually SERIOUS???!!!

Cocking a slim eyebrow at us, the Sergeant tilted his head toward the door. "Well? Get going. Get going before someone else decides to stop by, in which case there really _will _be nothing I can do. I'll take care of it."

Gen-chan darted out of the cell at once, with Doukun and I close at his heels. We passed Police Officer Number One on the way, leaving him in the dust like a trio of roadrunners as we flung open the front door of the station and hopped into the parking lot. Doukun bounced proudly over to all our friends, all of whom were rendered speechless by the sudden appearance of Genrou, and began to explain the strange event when their voices grew strong enough to ask a million and a half questions. Gen-chan and I paused halfway down the stairs, both turning to look back at the building behind us.

"Ryuu-chan," he breathed, "that guy…that fuckin guy…seem familiar to you at all?"

I looked at him, doing my usual Marty Feldman imitation (you know, with the bug eyes…well, why the heck _else _would I be imitating him??? For crying out loud), and he met my gaze…

…And the image of a cruel, yellow-haired outsider, the reason we'd suffered so much in the past, the reason so many of us had died, arose in my mind… An armor-clad general surrounded by a soft azure glow, with sky-blue eyes that did not seem so weak when they weren't trapped behind a pair of glasses.

TBC…

****

Notes: Heehee. ^_^ Okay. Things I'm sorry about for this chapter: 

Nuriko musing about why people hug him. Hehehehe. Well, I was rereading some of one of the chapters and realized that Hotohori hugs Nuriko about once a _paragraph_. He seems, in fact, to be suffering from obsessive compulsive hugging disorder. BUT…I was watching the first few episodes of FY with my newly addicted friend the other day, and realized that it's actually okay, because Hotohori hugs _Miaka _at _least _once an episode. ^_^ He's just a huggy guy. And since he loves _Nuriko _in this story, well, the hugs will transfer over to _him_. ^_^ And one must also consider the fact that, out of all the people in FY, Nuriko tops the list of Characters Most In Need Of A Hug. Right, Kaze-chan? ^_^ Of course right. Sorry about the messed up dream sequence. Ehehehehehehehehe. ^_^ It's probably pretty boring and more than a little stupid, but I just like that song. ^_^ ANOTHER STORY AKUGI ****

Ryuuen: Great God, what the hell was happening? Dream sequence? What the hell? Something out of Oklahoma!!

[_The entire cast is suddenly dressed in cowboy outfits_]

****

Hotohori: This is so humiliating. I could deal with the singing, but…these _outfits._

****

Miaka: Shhhh!!! Get in character!!! 

****

Hotohori: [_clears throat_] Ah cain't take much more a this, Miaka!! Ah wanna make ya mah brahde!

****

Tamahome: Aw no ya don't, bubba! Miaka's MAHNE! 

****

Miaka: Aw gee! Ah luv Tamahome, but Hotohori _is _the emperor!

****

Nuriko: Pick Tamahome! Pick Tamahome! Ya have ev'ry reason ta pick him! Why? Well, ah'll tell ya!!

[_music starts_]

****

Miaka: Uh…Nuriko…

****

Nuriko: [_aside_] Shut up, it's my cue!!

[_sings, to the tune of 'Oklahoma'_]   
Taaaaaaaaaaamahome is the greatest feller in Konan!

****

Hotohori: [_speaks_] What the hell?!…

****

Nuriko: [_continues to sing_]   
Oh, he's debonair,  
And has blue hair,  
And he doesn't wear it in a bun!

****

Hotohori: [_furiously undoes his hair so it hangs in his face and strikes a dashing pose_]

****

Nuriko: Taaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamahome isn't rich, but hey, his love is true  
You'll be real happ-y  
As long as he  
Doesn't take a dose of kodaku!

****

Tamahome: [_blushes with embarrassment_]

****

Hotohori: [_steps forward to say something, but Nuriko claps a hand over his mouth_]

****

Nuriko: He's really a joy, and to boot,  
He is just so incredibly cute!

He scores a niiiiiiiiiiine!  
The boy is really fiiiiiiiiiiine!  
I'm tellin ya that you oughta choose Tamahome:  
Hotohori….is mine!!!

****

FY Cast: YEE-HAW!!!! [_freeze in cowboy-ish positions_]

** Ryuuen: **Ummm, yeah…next time I'll just stick with the Moulin Rouge dream, thankyouverymuch… ( Well, I DID warn you it was weird. ^_^ ) 


	15. The Mouth Takes Over

****

Disclaimer: Whaaaaaaaaaat, ya didn't see them on the fourteen chapters before this?? ^_~

****

Warnings: This one turned out a bit angsty. _Big time_ shounen sap… ~.~() Gomen gomen gomen gomen gomen…oh! And that reminds me; there are a LOT of repeated words in this chapter. ^_^ Don't ask me why. **shrug** Just more than usual. They all decided to pop up in one place. Maybe it's a block party, or something. 

****

Shout-outs: Arashi, Angel, Nurachel, and Parvy-chan!! What up??!!! Word!!! 

****

ANOTHER STORY

Chapter Fifteen:

The Mouth Takes Over

Genrou and I didn't say anything about it, but in each other's eyes, there was a mutual recognition and understanding that the Sergeant who had perhaps sacrificed his job for Gen-chan had been a familiar face, an evil face. But he had saved us…saved Gen-chan, at the very least. Maybe he regretted all the things he'd done in the past (I couldn't remember exactly what "things" he had done, but the fact that he had done "things" seemed pretty prominent). Or maybe he didn't even remember at all, for he'd seemed awfully puzzled as to exactly _why _he was setting Gen-chan free.

It struck me as funny that all these reincarnated Seishi were being gathered for some reason in Allenby, Illinois. Of all places. Saihitei had said the gathering part was due to interwoven destinies and stuff like that, but _Allenby_??? Hicksville USA??? Land of Corn and Soy?? …Whatever, Hand of Fate.

We answered everyone's questions and had a mini-celebration, and then everyone piled into their respective cars and drove off into the sunrise like a bunch of confused modern cowboys. This time, I got to go with Saihitei…eheh…who looked like he was going to pass out at the wheel.

"Need caffeine?" I inquired giddily, since no sleep had about the same effect on me as on Miaka. 

"Mm," he said, eyes glued to the road.

__

Wait a minute. You DID sleep. You slept for about an hour on Saihitei's…

Gahhhh, no!!! I thought I put that incident in the Selective Memory Loss section of my brain!!! He probably thinks I'm forward and skanky. Ahhhh, jeez…

"About, um, before…when I fell asleep," I said, suddenly sober. "I…"

Saihitei was shaking his head slowly, a smile curving the corner of his mouth. "Don't you dare apologize. You're my boyfriend, and my tragic love interest from a past life. I think you're allowed to do things like that."

__

He said it!!! He said it out loud!!! Boyfriend boyfriend boyfriend boyfriend boyfriend boyfriend!!!!!!

I sat there quietly, relishing in the sound of the word being repeated over and over again in my tiny little mind, grinning like the Cheshire Cat would grin if the Cheshire Cat ever hooked up with the most handsome cat in all cat-dom and …um…never mind. 

"You can turn on the radio, if you like," he offered.

__

I can play with his expensive car, cuz I'm his boyyyyfriiiiieeeend!!!

"Did you talk with Myojuan?" I asked instead, finding it harder than I thought to speak around my smile. "And does he know about…everyone else who knows?" _Except for the obvious ex-monks who have yet to come out of the reincarnation closet?_

"Yes, and yes. He took it very well," answered Saihitei with a nod. "Although…I suppose anything could be considered 'well' after my previous attempt at enlightenment. He said he's been having strange dreams for the past few months that this new knowledge would help to explain. He doesn't really remember much more than you do at this point."

__

Damn you for changing the subject!! Say it again, say it again!! Come on, you can do it!!! I'm your boyfriend, right???

"Can we talk about…'_us_'?" I blurted without thinking, and didn't even stop to yell at myself for the cliché nature of the question because it was _six o'clock in the damn morning_.

Saihitei glanced over at me. "Of course; what would you like to talk about?"

__

Crap. Haven't thought that far.

"You just…you just called me your boyfriend, and…" _Say it agaaaainnnnn_!!! "I was just wondering, um, if you meant it." True, I'd been calling him _my _boyfriend in my head ever since Friday night. But if _he _thought the _same way_, well, wouldn't it be _great_???!! 

"Of _course_ I meant it," he said firmly. "Why on earth wouldn't I mean it? We've kissed, we've been on a date, I've _told _you how I feel! Were you looking for something in writing? An official agreement, stating that 'I Hereby Announce that Ryuuen Chou is My Boyfriend?'"

__

HE SAID IT!!!!!!! 

I beamed. "I guess not. It's just that…I guess this is the first time I've heard it out loud."

Smiling himself, he reached over and squeezed my hand. "I know this is new to you," he said. "But just remember: anything you feel for me and more, I reciprocate tenfold for you."

__

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. He's a lab experiment. 

Why does he love me? It's not like he's limited to last pick of the litter.

If it had been my choice, I never would have let that obnoxious last thought come to light. But the fact was that it _wasn't _my choice. It was there, and it almost made me cringe visibly. Now, don't get the wrong idea. I didn't believe that Saihitei was _lying _when he said he loved me. It just left me feeling kinda sad, somehow, that his heart should be lost on someone who was…well…negligible.

__

"You are who you are, and I'll take you that way," he said to me…he SAID it! But what if who I am isn't who he thought I was?

You think altogether too much. You're probably perfectly fine. You have what is called an INFERIORITY COMPLEX. He's already said he loves you to death, what more could you possibly want???!!!

Nothing. Nothing from him. I just don't know if I'm doing the right thing FOR him.

"Saihitei," I said, deciding that I should either say something or drive myself crazy, "or whatever you'd like to call yourself…I think you're the best thing that's ever happened to me." It didn't come out as plaintive as I'd feared.

"Reciprocated tenfold," he said fondly, squeezing my hand again.

"And Saihitei…"

"Mm?"

"Would you keep both hands on the wheel when you're driving on no sleep, please?" I batted my eyelashes at him cheerfully, and he laughed and did as I asked.

~*~

We were all supposed to meet at The Apartment at five to say good-bye to Miaka and Houjun, who, sadly, had to drive back to Indiana. In the meantime, Saihitei said, I could come see his house, if I would like.

"I would like very much," I said, which was the absolute truth. I would really have liked to spend more time with Houjun before he left, just to bond and deepen the trust and stuff, but everyone—and for good reason—was taking naps. Yes. Sleep was good. 

Saihitei's house was about fifteen minutes outside of town, and when I saw it, all questions I had with regard to his monetary status were immediately answered. The place was _big_!! A mansion of gray brick, stuck in the middle of the country like one of those summer homes in England. When we stepped out of the car, I just stood there and gaped up at it for quite a long stretch of time.

"Are you coming?" yawned Saihitei, who had reached the door, and I hurried after him into a cozy, Victorian entryway. He laughed at my expression. "Do you like the house?"

I stared at him. "Let me put it this way: The sun'll come out…tomorrow!!! Betcher bottom dollar that tomorowwwww….want me to start tap dancing?"

He chuckled again, and held out his hands for my coat. 

"Is this your parents' house?" I asked, still wide-eyed and Little Orphan Annie-ish. 

"Yes. They died several years ago, so I'm the only one that lives here now." I opened my mouth to say I was sorry about his parents, but he caught me and shook his head. "It was a long time ago. The past is the past, right? Let me take your coat, I'll show you the upstairs, and we can sleep."

__

I'm gonna sleep in his house!!!!! That's right!! Because I'm his BOYFRIEND!!!

But when we got to the bedroom, I was suddenly faced with a new fear.

__

Sleep??!! You don't suppose he means…SLEEP??? Like sleep TOGETHER? No, no no…that's dumb, he wouldn't…I mean, we've only known each other for…five hundred years…DAMN!!!

Saihitei's shoulders slumped as he realized I was, once again, rooted to the spot, this time in the doorway of the room. "Ryuuen," he said, turning to me wearily, "I promise, I'll show you the house later…let's just get to bed now, all right?"

__

Feeling sick again…

"Ryuuen?" He frowned, and took a step closer to me. "You've…gone quite pale. Are you okay?"

__

If he wants to, how do I say no? If he wants to…

"S-sorry," I quavered, "but, ummm…we're just _sleeping_, aren't we? Or, um…"

He looked really shocked when he realized what I was trying to say, but then smiled for my benefit. "I only ever intended to sleep," he said gently. "_That_ is _not _something you need to worry about."

My knees went weak with relief. "Thank…I mean, I'm sorry I…"

"If you say you're sorry one more time, I shall be forced to gag you," he teased, and proceeded to regard me intently for a long moment. Then, without a word, he grabbed my hand and pulled me into the bathroom. I, having been surprised by this sudden action, did nothing to protest.

Positioning me in front of the mirror, standing behind me himself with his hands holding my upper arms, he stared at my reflection with serious golden eyes. "Look."

I blinked at Mirror-Saihitei. _What the…?_

"_Look_," he insisted, nudging me with his knee. "And just think about what you see."

So I looked.

And I saw. Shaggy, self-cut hair. Skin that was too pale, eyes that were too big, skinny neck…hell, skinny _everything…_and ears that would have looked way too big if my hair hadn't covered them. All in all, a pathetic little figure; short, girly, and exhausted. My hair hung limply, as hair has a tendency to do when the head it belongs to hasn't had the sense to sleep. My eyes were rimmed with bruise-like circles; those combined with the skin and the build made me look like some 19th-century pauper dying in a sickhouse. 

"Shall I tell you what _I _see?" said Saihitei softly. Before I could decide whether "yes" or "no" was safer, he had plunged on. "I see the man I love. The man for whom I've spent my entire life searching, who sacrificed so much so that his friends could go on. Ryuuen. You have nothing to be ashamed of. You're a beautiful person, inside and out. But I wouldn't care if you looked like a human toadstool, as long as it was you on the inside. I wish you could see that. I wish you could see it."

__

I look in the mirror and see myself, and I say to myself, for heaven's sake, Nuriko, who are you kidding? You think the Emperor would trouble himself over someone like you? You're disgusting; you're just disgusting! And it's very plain that he doesn't want anything to do with you. Who would, after what you've been hiding? 

I felt at the spot on my chest where my seishi symbol had appeared. 

__

Just now…That wasn't me.

The more I remember, the more like Nuriko I become…or maybe this is how I was all along, and all I'm getting now are explanations for why I'm so goddamn…crap, the guy was more insecure than I am. 

I can't see what Saihitei wants me to see. All I see is me.

But isn't it something, to know that he sees more?

I turned and hugged him around the waist, not wanting to look him in the eye just yet. The blushworks were again in action. 

"Someday, you'll see. Just remember, every time you look in the mirror…that I wouldn't have anyone else but you. Try to convince me otherwise, and I shall laugh in your face."

__

Perfect perfect perfect perfect, how can ya be so goddamn perfect?

"Now. I think sleep is in order. Would you like to see the guest bedroom? One of them, I should say…there are four."

__

"Would you like to see the guest bedroom? Or would you rather stay with me?" That's what he really means, isn't it? 

Guest bedroom. Guest bedroom guest bedroom guest bedroom. Brain agrees with that. Logical and safe. 

Okay, and a vote from the Heart: Stay With Saihitei. Sure. It'd be nice, wouldn't it? Just sleeping, and not "sleeping"…not like you haven't done it before, that night on Taka's couch and then earlier in the car…okay, stop, it sounds like you're thinking about the WRONG kind of "sleeping…"

Any other organs feel like having their say? Skin? It'd be snuggly, ehehehehe… Lungs? Well, breathing problems could ensue from prolonged closeness… Mouth? He might even kiss me again which would… ehehehehehehehehehe…

Stomach? Liver? Spleen?

……

Okay, no comment from the above…

"Can I stay with you?" said my mouth.

__

Ahhhhhhh, but you're BIASED!!!!! You want him to kiss you!!! And you can't do that, the voting wasn't done yet!!!!!!!!! 

Well, this is now a dictatorship, and the Mouth is taking over.

DAMN!

He smiled. "If that's what you want."

__

Well, apparently it's what my MOUTH wants. 

I nodded.

__

Ahhhh, no, head!! Not you, too!!!

And then, it all went to hell. My legs betrayed me and started moving toward the bed with Saihitei, and even went so far as to _climb on_. My arms went around him again, and my body curled up next to him, nestling like a rabbit… I rested my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes…

__

NOOOOOO!!!!! GUEST ROOM GUEST ROOM GUEST ROOM!!!! STOP THE REVOLUTION!!!

Ah, shut up, Brain. You've been ousted. Phased out.

BUT…Ohhhhh, okayyyyy… 

"Good night…or, good morning," he said, and kissed the top of my head.

I thought about replying, but decided that I was already too asleep.

~*~

I'd never done that before. Slept in the same bed with someone, I mean. Well. Apart from Miaka and my sister and…all right, never slept with another _guy_. No, wait a minute. My brother and I had to sleep in the same bed in hotels when we were kids. And when Gen-chan used to come to my house to sleep over, we'd always use the fold-out couch bed, which _kinda _counts as a bed, even though it's mostly a couch and… _OKAY_, so I'd done it before. But…gahhhh, you know what I mean.

I woke up before he did, and just lay there forever, feeling like a teddy bear. It was a pretty nice feeling, actually. Like I was protected on all sides; like no one could hurt me as long as he was there.

__

He loves me. This is how you treat people if you love them. Wouldn't it be great to just stay here all day and…

GAHHHHH, IS THAT THE TIME?????????

"_FOUR THIRTY???!!!!_" I exclaimed, scrambling up and crawling over Saihitei so I could actually see the clock. He "oofed" as my knees collided with his chest. "Saihitei, wake up, wake up!! Miaka's leaving soon, we have to get over there!!" _Ick, I need a shower. _

"M-Miaka??!!" he said urgently, sitting upright. 

"Yes! She's gonna leave, and we have to get over there to say good-bye!!" _Slept with my contacts in. Crap. Eyes will proceed to suffocate and shrivel up. Oh well. _I scrambled off the bed and made a run for the bathroom, thinking I could at _least _wash my face, or something…when he caught my arm and pulled me back and kissed me.

Well, it certainly calmed me down. 

"Just hold on a moment," he assured me, going to the phone. He called Taka, I suppose, because after he hung up, he said, "They'll wait until we get there. There's no rush. I must bathe before I set foot out of the house…it just wouldn't do for me to bid Miaka good-bye in such a grimy state."

"Mm hmm," I agreed, smiling like a dope.

He smiled, and ran his thumb across my cheek. "Why don't you use this shower, and I'll go next door… Feel free to use my shampoo, conditioner, soap, and anything else. The shampoo is extra body. It will leave your hair wonderfully vibrant and soft."

"Mm hmm," I said again, dreamily. He could have been comparing my head to a cabbage, and I probably would've responded the same way.

"Would you like some clean clothing?"

"Mm….hmm."

"Well, let me see…" he frowned thoughtfully. "My things would be far too big for you. But I have a sweatshirt around here somewhere…" Turning to dig into his chest of drawers, he emerged with a pile of clothing and bundled them into my arms. "There you are; that will have to do for now. I'll meet you downstairs when you're ready."

After I'd finished staring after him, I sighed and took my shower, then considered the clothes I'd been left. I dressed in a pair of red sweatpants, a white undershirt that hung down to mid-thigh, and a navy blue hooded sweatshirt that almost reached my _knees_.

__

After borrowing these things and Taka's PJs that other night, I feel like I've shrunk, or something. I need to start bringing extra clothes with me everywhere I go. Either that or find some friends my size. Miaka isn't too far off, I guess. Some of her bigger stuff would probably fit me. And wearing women's clothing would give me even MORE insight into The Past. Ack. Well, at least these pants have a drawstring.

A matter of utmost urgency arose when I realized that Saihitei did not own any cool socks. The most interesting thing he had going on with his was a red or blue stripe across the top. I felt I should attempt to remedy the situation as soon as possible. Everyone needs cool socks.

Wearing my circus tent…uh, I mean, borrowed clothes, I hopped downstairs, found that Saihitei was already ready to go (probably due to the fact that he didn't spend half as much time contemplating which _socks _to wear), and headed off to say good-bye to Miaka and Houjun.

It was awful to see them go. I'd only just realized exactly how deep or relationship ran, and now she was leaving, and I couldn't even _say _anything to her about it because Doukun was there. She hugged me for a long time, and promised to email as much as ever; I reminded her that we got the whole week off for Thanksgiving this year, and casually mentioned that if she didn't come down and see us, I'd tie her hair in knots and hang her from a street lamp. I shook hands with Houjun, and tried to give it a little extra warmth… "We'll have to keep in touch, too," I told him pointedly, and gave him a little piece of paper with my email address on it.

__

I hope he'll write. Dammit, I wish he'd TELL someone. He can't keep it to himself. 

He accepted the paper with a tiny smile, a glint of thanks in his eyes.

Miaka kissed Taka one last time, waved at all of us, and then…they drove away. Doukun left, too, in his own dilapidated little car, claiming he had a study date. Though…whether the date was with an actual girl or only with a bunch of textbooks was anybody's guess.

After they'd gone, Gen-chan elbowed me, grinning evilly. "I see we're wearing different clothes than we were when we last saw each other…"

My mouth went dry, but not dry enough to stop me from shouting, "_G-GEN-CHANNNN!!!! Shut up!!_" Accompanying this with a punch to his arm, I _did not _expect my best friend to go flying halfway across the driveway and go smashing into the wall. Blinking, I glanced down at my chest, where, sure enough, I had begun to glow again.

"Aaaaaahahahahahaha…" I said sheepishly, putting my hand to my face. "Ahhhhhhhhhh…sorry…"

The others, it seemed, were not disconcerted by this random act of violence. "All right," sighed Taka, looking forlorn, as he always did after Miaka left. "All right, you guys…"

"I think we should talk," said Saihitei. "All five of us. We have to talk about what we're going to do about Doukun."

TBC…

****

Notes: Ahhhhh, sap sap sap sap sap… ~.~() Ummmmm, yeah…hehe. Okay, given the raising of issues of a yaoi nature in this chapter, I feel it's only fair to warn you guys that there WILL NOT be any sex in this story. ^_^ Sorry if that disappoints anybody, but sex (between anyone: yaoi, yuri, straight, whatever) is just not my literary bag. Heehee. ^_^ I only brought it up **points to chapter above** because it seemed realistic, I guess, and I want to try to keep things pretty realistic (as Kaze-chan says, "as realistic as it's possible to be with a FY fic"). So those of you who were like, "Ahhhhh, good lord! They're talking about sex! Exorcist! Exorcist!!", worry not; I don't intend for there to be any in the context of the ficcie. ^_^ Those of you who were like, "Ahhhhh, hurrah!!! They're talking about sex!! Maybe Hotohori and Saihitei will get it on in later chapters!", I'm really sorry, but no. ~.~() And the remainder of you, who were probably going, "Ehhhhhh, whatever; all the same to me," or "When the heck is she gonna shut up about all this sappy stuff and bring in Tasuki again, for pity's sake???", well, it's all the same to you, so there you have it. ^_^ Thanks for reading, you guys! 

ANOTHER STORY AKUGI: 

**Saihitei: **You're a beautiful person, inside and out. But I wouldn't care if you looked like a human toadstool, as long as it was you on the inside.

****

Taiitsukun: **randomly appearing out of nowhere** Mwahahahaha. **turns Ryuuen into a human toadstool**

****

Saihitei: GAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

****

Ryuuen: What????!! What's wrong???!!!!

****

Saihitei: Get away, foul beast!! Get away!!

****

Ryuuen: Saihitei, it's me!!! I have attachment issues and low self-esteem!!! Don't push me away!!

****

Saihitei: **bringing out the Lysol** I can't stand ugly things!!!!!!!!

****

Merry and Pippin: **also randomly appearing out of nowhere** LOOK!! A BIG MUSHROOM!!! **They chase Ryuuen out of the room** 

****

Frodo: **charging in**GET OFF THE ROAD!!!!!!!!

(Yeah…caffeine is my friend. But please remember that after consuming it, I am not responsible for any bizarre Akugis that might ensue.)


	16. The Million-Dollar Seaweed

Disclaimer: Nuriko lives in my closet. Don't even start with the "come out of the closet" jokes. He thinks they're getting old. ****

Warnings: Tasuki language, pointless babble, stalkers, sushi, bad restaurant etiquette, food art.

****

Notes: Hi!!! Well, it's the second day of school, and I have done practically no homework. BUT…I have five pages done on my thesis!!! Rejoice!! Sorry it's been taking me longer to get chapters out, but that's school for ya. **sigh** Wouldn't it be great if we all got paid for doing this?? Hehehe. ^_^ 

****

Dedications: This one's for Lancynth, Stephan, and Tianna. And to Tianna's future with either Obi-wan Kenobi or Archie Kennedy. Now, _there's _a scary idea for a crossover fic. 

****

Random inside joke of the day: Legolas: "OH NO!! The set collapsed!!!"

****

ANOTHER STORY

Chapter Sixteen:

The Million-Dollar Seaweed

"GACK!!!" said Taka, seemingly horrified.

The rest of us—including Gen-chan, who had since slid down the wall and had rejoined the group only a little the worse for wear—jumped back at his outburst.

Taka seemed desperate. "What do you mean, about Doukun??!! You mean how much he studies? Yeeeeahhhh, how can we get him out of the house more???"

Saihitei closed his eyes. "Tamahome. I told Mitsukake this evening about Suzaku no Miko. There's no need to cover up." Myojuan nodded slowly in affirmation.

They both received a blank stare. There was a long, uncomfortable period of silence that made me want to either crack a Miaka-like, tension-breaking joke…or hide behind Saihitei so that Taka couldn't glare at me as well.

"You…told him?" Taka said finally, his tone dangerous.

__

He didn't want to tell anyone in the first place…

"Yes," said Saihitei briefly.

"_Damn it_! We agreed to tell _Tasuki_, and that's all!" our friend exclaimed angrily. "You didn't even bother to _check _with me??? Even if it were only to warn me??"

"I asked him to tell me," Myojuan said firmly. 

"He healed a man," Saihitei added. "He used his powers. How could I _not _explain, after that?"

"Fuck, man," said Gen-chan. "Chill. Not like you're the fuckin King of the Reincarnated Seishi."

"I never claimed I was," Taka snapped. "It was an _agreement _we had."

__

Don't fight; PLEASE don't fight…

"Well, nothing bad happened…" I piped up optimistically, though the familiar tugs of panic were once again tugging at my chest. "Nothing bad happened, and he's sorry, aren't you, Saihitei? But he _did _just ask you about Doukun, right? So it's not like he's going off and telling everyone he knows, right?"

Taka looked warily up at Saihitei and sighed. "I suppose."

"I _am _sorry," my boyfriend confirmed my words. "But I really didn't have a choice."

A moment more, and then Taka nodded. "I understand. I'm sorry, I overreacted. It's just…we spent so long trying to decide what would be best for everyone, and now it seems like that hardly matters at all."

"Blame destiny, if you like," said Saihitei.

"Yes," I agreed. "Is there a better scapegoat, after all?"

"Fuckin destiny," muttered Gen-chan.

Since it was almost five thirty and none of us had eaten anything all day, we decided that the best place to have our little seishi meeting about Doukun would be a restaurant. After much cajoling, I finally got them to agree to go out for sushi. I love sushi, and lots of people claim not to like it without even having tried it. Luckily, Gen-chan likes it, too, otherwise there's no way he would've let us go. So, we all piled into Taka's car—Taka and Myojuan in the front, and me squished between the other two in the back because I had the shortest legs—and headed off to Sakura, which was about five or ten minutes away.

"Maybe we can get the sampler boat!" I exclaimed once we had settled in our booth. This particular restaurant had platters shaped like boats that the sushi came out on. I'd never gotten it before.

"Yeah! Dude!" said Gen-chan. "The fuckin boat, all the way!!"

"It says here that the sampler boat is twenty dollars _a person_," Taka frowned. "There's no way I'm paying that much for raw fish and rice."

"And _seaweed_," I added.

"Oh. Forgive me. The million-dollar seaweed."

"I want the fuckin _boat_," Gen-chan insisted.

"It's _twenty…DOLLARS,_" Taka repeated. "_A PERSON_."

"Cheap-ass ho."

"Vampire."

"Oh, for heaven's sake," I sighed. 

I pitied our poor waitress, who had to deal with Taka and Genrou changing each other's orders from Boat to Non-Boat about seven times before Saihitei interrupted them both by asking politely if she could possibly bring out their regular orders on a boat-shaped platter. A tiny bit flustered, she agreed with a nervous smile, and dashed away as quickly as possible. 

__

What a great compromise, I sighed dreamily to myself. _Gee. He must've made such a wonderful emperor._

"So…matter of business," said Taka as we waited for our food. "Doukun."

"Yes, Mr. Chairman," I said, mock-serious.

He ignored me. "And Houjun. What to do about them. Well. The way I see it, we have three people who've been told…two took it pretty well, and one…well…went a little berserk."

"Fuckin rub it in, why dontcha," Gen-chan grumbled.

"Just focus on Doukun," I said quickly, because if they kept talking about Houjun, I just _knew _I was gonna let something slip. "Houjun's halfway to Indiana by now, and Miaka's certainly not gonna tell him by herself." _What about the policeman dude? Should I tell them about the policeman dude?_

No. What did you just SAY?? DOUKUN. We are focusing…on…DOUKUN. 

"Fair enough," Taka nodded.

"I believe Chiriko would take it well, if we were to tell him," said Saihitei. "He's intelligent, and he has neither a destructive nature nor a terrible temper, like some of us…"

"Will ya _STOP_???!!!!" Gen-chan exclaimed. "I'm _fuckin SORRY_, already!!!"

"But I'm afraid the problem would lie in the very fact that he _is _so smart," Taka argued. "He's logical. The very bases of logic would vehemently deny the fact that something like this is even _possible_."

"Deep, Tama-chan," I said.

"How is that going to feel, though?" Saihitei pressed. "To have five of us know, and to leave the others in the dark?"  
  
_Like I'm missing some part of myself…Like I'm…like I'm…_

"Incomplete," I murmured.

Saihitei looked at me and nodded. "Incomplete. I know it's a tough decision to make, but…"

"Finding this out has been one of the greatest things that's ever happened to me," I said truthfully. "I mean…when you're growing up, you always want to be like the people in the cartoons… you want to pretend you're special, and that you're capable of great things…maybe you're going to save the world some day, or maybe you already did in another life. But most people never get to know these things. They think they're silly for thinking about them, ordinary people like them, nothing special whatsoever. But now…" I shrugged. "I kinda feel like my life _means _something. I think, in the long run, it'll make me stronger."

Beside me, Gen-chan was bobbing his head up and down in agreement. "Fuck. I know I spazzed out and everything—how could I _forget_, with you fuckin morons bringin it up twenty-four-seven—but Ryuu-chan's right. I was a fuckin nothin. Never really thought I'd amount to much. But, shit…I was a fuckin _seishi_!!" His eyes glittered, but whether from melancholy or determination, I couldn't quite tell. "I was _important_. I feel like I can do fuckin anything…_anything_!! And…fuck. I think we're selfish bastards if we keep the other guys from feelin that, too."

The traumatized waitress came in then with our food, arranged very nicely in a little wooden boat.

"All _RIGHT_!!!" Genrou celebrated, and clicked his chopsticks together eagerly. "Boat, boat, boat!!!"

Taka picked up an avocado roll and regarded it intently for a moment.

"It grow eyes, or somethin?" I inquired around a mouthful of tekka maki.

He raised an eyebrow at me, then smiled and shook his head. "I suppose the fair thing to do would be to put it to a vote."

__

You hear that, body parts??? VOTING. It's FAIR.

Saihitei agreed, as did the rest of us.

"All right," said Saihitei. "Who thinks we ought to tell…Doukun, at least? And perhaps the others, but we can discuss that at a later date."

Yet more silence.

__

Somebody's gotta speak first. You have to actually SPEAK to vote. Or raise a hand, or SOMETHING. Come ON. You can say it. You want Chiriko back, don't you?

But it was Myojuan who finally got the guts to give his opinion. "I think we should tell him," he rumbled softly.

"As do I," said Saihitei.

"Me, too," I added quietly, just as Genrou said, "Fuck, yeah."

Taka exhaled very slowly, looking around at all of us. Then, he closed his eyes and nodded. "All right. That's fair."

With a relieved grin, I dug into the sushi with relish. (No, not with _relish_… ewww. What I mean is…with _gusto_.) "Phew!! I'm glad we talked about that, you guys. I'm glad everybody's okay with it, and…man, I love sushi."

"You wouldn't, by any chance, have socks with sushi on them?" Myojuan asked, straight-faced. Saihitei chuckled.

__

Yeah, sure. Tease the guy with the cool socks.

"_No_," I said.

Before I even noticed he'd moved, Gen-chan had reached under the table, grabbed my foot, and stuffed a California roll into one of Saihitei's boring, white-with-blue-stripe-on-top socks.

"What the _hell_????!!!" I demanded, shoving myself away from him.

"BAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" he barked, and pointed at my foot.

The others were snickering, even Myojuan.

"You do now," said Taka.

Digging the thing out of my sock, I deposited it airily upon Gen-chan's plate.

"EWWWWWW!!!!" he exclaimed, recoiling. "Don't fuckin put that there!!! That touched your fuckin _foot_!!!!"

"Now…who should've thought of that before he _made _it touch my foot, ehhhhh?" I said pleasantly.

"Tamaaaaaaa!!! Would you tell him to get it the hell off my plate???!!!" he whined, appealing to Taka with pleading eyes.

"You're such a _baby_!!!" I clicked.

"Yeah, well, you're gay!!!"

"Children, children," said Taka, holding his hands out over the table in a pacifying gesture. "Don't make me take away your TV privileges…and Genrou, such language is _not _appropriate for a restaurant."

I made a face at Gen-chan and stuck out my tongue.

"Ryuueeeeeeennnnn…." Taka said warningly.

Grinning, I put my hands meekly in my lap. "Sorry, Dad."

"While I hate to interrupt this delightfully interesting banter," Saihitei said good-humoredly, "I think we should follow up our decision to tell Doukun with deciding _who _should tell him."

"Let me," said Myojuan calmly.

We all looked at him, surprised he'd been so quick to volunteer. "Are you sure? You don't even remember a lot of…" Taka began.

"I remember enough," Myojuan said. "And I know him the best out of all of us. I know he trusts me. I'll do it."

"Dude! I forgot to tell ya!" Gen-chan announced suddenly. "Doukun and I saw your fuckin pansy stalker guy at lunch yesterday."

I winced. "Chuin?"

"No, your fuckin _other _pansy stalker guy. So we were at McDonalds, right…and allva sudden I see the fuckin asshole sittin off in the corner by himself. I wanted to go up to him and fuckin kick his ass to Nepal, but Doukun wouldn't fuckin let me…"

__

Thank you, Doukun, once again.

"Yeah, Genrou told me what happened on Monday night," Taka said. "I'd keep an eye out for that guy. I really would."

__

And thank YOU, Gen-chan…

"You know, the reason I didn't tell you all _myself _was because I didn't want you guys to be paranoid and make a big deal out of it." I crossed my arms and frowned at Gen-chan.

"Just be careful," Saihitei contributed. "I'd hate to…"

"Ex-_CUSE _me??? Can I finish the fuckin _story _here???!!" Genrou interrupted rudely. 

"Sorry," said Taka. "Go ahead."

"I _appreciate _it. So we see this guy sittin alone, and Doukun won't fuckin let me pound him into the fuckin ground…"

"You said that already."

He glared at me. "I was _summing up_. Dammit. Just _listen_. So he keeps fuckin lookin over at us, right? Cuz, you know, he knows we hang out with ya. About _fifty fuckin times_ he keeps fuckin lookin over to see if you're there. Fuckin _moron_."

I sighed.

"It was goddamn _annoying_. So finally, I caught him in the act, and I yell, '_He's not fuckin here!!!!!!_' Scared the shit outa him. And he left." He leaned back proudly. 

__

Great. Great great great.

"Yup. Now I should have _no problem at all _trying to get things between him and me to be _normal_," I said wryly, trying not to grit my teeth.

He shrugged. "Fuck, who wants normal?? With _that _guy?? Good _luck_."

"I had a better chance _before _you decided to scream at him."

"_Hey_!! I thought I was fuckin doin you a _favor_!!!!"

"The sushi's getting cold," said Saihitei.

Trying to remain calm, I snatched up another tuna roll. 

"Ah, great, now he's gonna be all fuckin _pissy_," Gen-chan groaned.

"I'm _not _pissy!!" I exclaimed. "I'm eating!"

"You can't be both at the same time?"

"Multitasking isn't my thing."

We fell silent and dug into our food as our audience—Saihitei, Taka, Myojuan, and the trembling waitress who was gazing at us from a crack in the kitchen door—looked from one of us to the other, trying to decide who was gonna make the next move. When neither one of us said anything, Taka shook his head and raised his eyebrows.

"You two," he said, "are _not normal_."

"You had doubts?" Myojuan said blandly.

"You _willingly _ran off to be the prisoner of the _enemy_, and _we're _not normal?" I said.

"DA DA DA DAAAAAAA!!!! MEMORY!!!" Gen-chan crowed, and we high-fived.

"WOOHOO!!" I added.

Taka and Saihitei burst into laughter. I looked at Gen-chan and grinned.

"Sorry bout the pansy ass stalker boy thing," he apologized. "But after what happened…"

__

I can't blame him, I guess. And it's not as like Chuin and I weren't already wrecked from the start. 

Just think about it. You were never really mad at all, were you?

…No.

Well…THAT'S weird. Why the hell didja make a big deal about it, then?? Usually you avoid such conflicts…

…It's him, isn't it. I mean, it's me. It's Nuriko. 

My friends made me confident. That's how it worked, right? Sometimes I felt so alone... but when you got right down to it…as soon as we were all together, I started getting more and more confident. And that's what's happening now. We're all together again. All seven of us. All eight, if you count Miaka.

"Helloooo, space cadet?" said Taka.

I looked up quickly and smiled. "Sorry." _Just had an Epiphanous Moment, that's all. _"Don't worry about it, Gen-chan. I kinda wish I coulda seen the look on Chuin's face, come to think of it."

He snorted.

When we'd finished eating, I grabbed my chopsticks and started using them to sculpt my pile of wasabi. _Hmm, let's see…eyes…mouth…and ginger for hair!! WONderful!_ But imagine my surprise when, as soon as I was done, I found that everyone was staring at me.

"What?"

"What the fuck is that?" Gen-chan asked in a monotone, staring at my creation.

I looked at it.

It stared back at me with it's little hollow eyes.

"It's a wasabi goblin," I said. "I _always _make wasabi goblins when I have Japanese food."

Saihitei reached across the table and patted my forearm, pursing his lips and averting his eyes like he'd go into hysterics if he looked at me. 

"_What_???" I repeated.

"Man…" Gen-chan gave me the "Fuck-Dude-You're-On-Drugs-Or-Something" look. "Taka's right. You're _not _fuckin normal."

"How long have we known each other?" I demanded. "And you've never seen me make a wasabi goblin before?!"

"Ano…" came a small, scared voice. It was the waitress. I was immediately very ashamed of my wasabi goblin, since I was afraid she would think I was making fun of the culture, or something. "May I take your plates?"

Blushing, I handed her my plate and thanked her. She collected the other plates and high-tailed it out of there.

Taka groaned. "We can never set foot in this restaurant again."

Saihitei _did _look at me then, smiling charmingly—_he really DOES look like a movie star, although you probably shouldn't say so, since it'll only go to his head_—and winked. I gave him a sheepish grin.

After dinner, we drove back and I asked them to drop me at the door of my dorm, because I hadn't done any homework all weekend and _desperately _needed to catch up. As I exited the car—Saihitei had to get out so I didn't have to crawl over him—he kissed me on the cheek and said, "I'll see you sometime this week, and I'll give you back your clothes."

Even though he'd cracked a joke about the clothes thing earlier, Gen-chan nearly choked on his tongue.

TBC…

****

Notes: No cliffhanger!! Ahhhhhh!!! ^_^ Thanks for reading, guys. ^_^


	17. ...Oops.

****

Disclaimer: Though I now own lots of illegal Gravitation fansubs, I still do not own Fushigi Yuugi.

****

Warnings: Language, sappiness, semi-angst, another little restaurant scene.

****

Notes: Thanks to everyone who's reeeeading! ^_^ Hope you guys like this chapter. Thanks to Kaze-chan and Ryuen-sama for their eeexxxxcellent help. Sorry it took so long!!! ~.~() school stinks.

****

ANOTHER STORY

Chapter 17:

…Oops.

In case the tension was too great to bear, I _did_ get my clothes back. The very next day, in fact. Which was a huge relief, really, since the hooded sweatshirt I'd left at Saihitei's place was a staple of life for me. It was like my jacket; I _very, very, very _rarely left the house without wearing it. It's not like it gets dirty or smelly, or anything, since I always wear a different T-shirt underneath it. But those mornings when it's stuck in the wash, or—as circumstance would have it—spending the night without me at my boyfriend's house, I found it terribly difficult to decide what to wear. I guess I'm like one of those super hero dudes with the funky costumes who aren't really themselves unless they're wearing those particular funky costumes.

Anyway, point made that I'm what could kindly be called an "interesting" person.

So…things went back to normal for about three weeks. Well…as normal as things could get, now that I and all my friends were reincarnated seishi. Oh, and with the second exception of the fact that I, who had sworn off any semblance of a love life for an indefinite period of time, now had a boyfriend. Not just any boyfriend, mind you. _The Emperor of freaking Konan_.

Cinderella story? ….Well, if Cinderella were a guy, ummmm…Cinderello? Maybe Cinderella was a cross-dresser. Wouldn't _that _be an interesting Disney remake.

Sorry. Train of thought, like broken pencil, has no point.

I guess things went well with Doukun; whatever Myojuan had told him must've made an effect. I wasn't there, naturally, when it actually happened. All I know is, one day, about a week after our last fateful visit to the Sakura Sushi Palace, Doukun caught up with me on the way to Stupid Pointless Eight O'Clock Thesis Section, _dropped his books _on the ground, and hugged me.

__

Add one more name to the list.

"Duhhhh…." I said, arms askew.

He pulled away quickly, but still gripped my shoulders. "Oh, _Ryuuen_!!! Isn't it marvelous??!! I'm remembering all these phenomenal events and sensations which…"

"He told you?" I grinned.

"Yes…last night, we went out and…I never knew so much about ancient Chinese history before!" Doukun's green eyes were glowing like a streetlight. "Although…it's still fairly uncertain to me as to whether we _actually _inhabited the China of yesteryear, a small gathering of kingdoms that followed the religion of the Four Gods, or if it was a different world altogether…which would be _fascinating_!!! I could write an entire book on the daily life and politics of…goodness!!! I must research this!!"

"How much do you remember?!" I demanded in excitement. I myself had been collecting random memories by the day, it seemed.

"Not much," he admitted, "but Myojuan said his have come back, so I'm sure mine will manifest again someday soon. I remember things about the environment, about things I used to study…and…well…" 

He looked uncomfortable, so I nudged him on. "And what?"

With an apologetic smile, he said, "I remember you dying."

__

Of all the ironies that ever existed in the entire span of human existence. Whyyyyy why why why whyyyyyyyy did everyone remember that part except me????

"Ryuuen? You alright?"

"Uh…sure," I said. "I haven't gotten that memory back yet. Not really. Just little flashes of stuff. But it seems that everyone else remembers it pretty clearly."

Doukun sighed, his grin fading the slightest bit. "Probably because it was…it was so awful, Ryuuen…you were there all alone; none of us were there to help you when you most needed it…I think it must have been the most tragic moment in all of our lives."

"For heaven's sake," I said, "_I'm_ the one who _died_!!! That makes it pretty darn tragic for _me_, _too_!!" 

__

But…you shouldn't talk about this, not now… Mood needs lightening again.

No kidding. When DOESN'T it???

"B-but, anyway…" I switched topics, "how's your paper coming?"

That was when time kinda froze for a sec, leaving us both staring at each other. Doukun looked pretty incredulous; I probably looked a great deal like Jim Carrey. After a while of staring and gaping at me, he shook his head and voiced his thoughts.

"You can't be serious."

I blinked, and flashed a small smile. "That bad?"

"Ryuuen," he said slowly, as if speaking to someone who was mildly retarded, "we used to be celestial warriors…you were killed by a werewolf while trying to assist in saving the world, and you're asking me about a _paper_?"

"I'm not an idiot," I frowned. "You don't have to treat me like one. But, Doukun…it's _my _death we're talking about here. I can change the subject if I want to."

He regarded me thoughtfully, lips pursed together a little. "Don't you _want _to remember what happened?"

"Of _course _I do! I don't hide like that anymore," I said hotly, but as soon as I'd said it, I began doubting the truth in it. "I just…well…" _Can't stand everyone feeling sad because of ME. _"I guess…now's not the right time for me to talk about it. I'd start thinking about it too hard, and…bye bye, class!" I waved my hand weakly. _It would be so much easier if I just remembered everything_, I thought for the millionth time. _But now I'm gonna have to ask someone about this eventually, if the memories don't come. And I'm getting sick of waiting for them to come._

"I…" said Doukun. "I'm sorry…you're right. I didn't mean to imply that you were trying to deny…"

"I know," I assured him. 

__

I'm not, am I? I'm not trying to avoid the subject. It's just not the right time.

I should talk to someone about it.

Well, who's the lucky party, then? …

~*~

"Saihitei," I said firmly, "how'd I die?"

He choked on his French Silk pie. 

__

That's the second time he's done that. Choked, I mean.

"That's ahhh…..a random question," he said thickly. "What brought this on all of a sudden?"

Shaking my head, I played with the remains of my own dessert. "It's not random. Not really. I've been thinking about it off and on all day."

"Well…" he cleared his throat. "The fact is, Ryuuen, that…remember…I wasn't there when it happened. I only have it second-hand, since you told me about it when we were spirits together."

"I know, but you're the only one I…" 

__

What what what did he say???

"Eheheheheheh…" I said with a plastic smile. "Did you just say… 'when we were spirits together'?"

"Um…yyyyes."

__

One surprise after another, isn't it. Will I EVERRRR have this whole past life thing straightened out???!!

"Perhaps we'd better skip that part for now," he said carefully.

__

Is that a "yes" as to the existence of ghosts, as well as reincarnation? I hope nothing important falls off when my freaking world gets turned upside down.

"I don't think I could ask anyone but you to tell me what happened," I continued, shoving the new fears of the supernatural off into a dusty corner somewhere. "And I don't need big details, anyway…I'm hoping that maybe, once I know the basic facts, all the rest will fill itself in."

"How much do you remember of that…particular day?"

"Ummm…" I sighed. "Not a whole lot. There's this eye, and snow, and…" _Can't let him hurt my friends…better me than them…better me than… _"A-and…Houjun said it was on top of a mountain somewhere."

__

ALERT ALERT ALERT SECURITY BREACH SECURITY BREACH SHIT SHIT SHIT WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU SAYING??!!!!!!

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaa!!!!! I mean, I mean, I remember seeing Houjun on top of a mountain somewhere!!!"

__

NICE save. NOT.

I expected an outburst. Any second, I expected Saihitei to leap out of his seat, clutch the table with both hands, and cry, "_Whaaaaaaat_???" in his slightly Kermit-the-Froggy voice. If he did, I thought, I would feign a fainting spell and pass out into my pie. No, better yet: an epileptic seizure! Or I could accidentally stab myself in the hand with my fork. But that would have been painful, so I quickly decided on the seizure and waited for the cute guy across from me to explode.

But he just…sat there. And _smiled_.

__

Holy Moses, did he actually BELIEVE me when I said it was a slip of the tongue?

"I saw Houjun on top of…a mountain," I reaffirmed squeakily, crossing my mental fingers.

"I know Chichiri remembers," he said. 

My heart sank down into my shoes and settled in my big toe. What kind of friend _was _I???!!! I couldn't even keep _one secret_!! And an _important _secret, at that!! I wanted to die. Or, at least, to disappear. 

"Let me guess," Saihitei continued gently. "You think that's your fault, as well. Don't beat yourself up, Ryuuen; I've known since the night the diner burned down. You didn't give it away."

I looked up at him bashfully, fiddling with my fork. "Really?"

He nodded. "He called Genrou Tasuki. I take it you noticed, as well?"

"Yeah. I realized it in the car on the way to the police station." I told him about the "discussion" (calling it a "bitch fight" probably wouldn't have been wise) that Houjun and I had had, how he had remembered all his life just like Taka and Saihitei himself, and had tried to push Chichiri's memories away because of what he'd done to his best friend. Now that I was sure I wasn't completely betraying Houjun by talking about it, it was a _major _relief to share it with someone. As I explained, Saihitei's eyes grew tired…his whole _body _seemed to grow tired, and I almost felt bad for telling him, for some reason.

__

Why's he so upset? Is it just because he feels bad for Houjun?

Well, DUH, ya THINK??? It's not a very happy story, after all.

But…it's more than that. I think it's more than that.

And then…I slapped myself in the face. Figuratively, of course. Because _hello_…like I'd just mentioned not ten minutes before, Saihitei had had to live with his own memories, and while he'd never really killed his best friend (as far as I knew, anyway), it must've been hard for him. I pictured Little Saihitei, sitting in his little room and looking very, very sad, trying to reconcile his new life with his old one. And…ya know that feeling you get when you go into the Humane Society and you see the cutest, saddest, nicest little orphaned puppy, and you just wanna hug him and give him little puppy snacks and stuff? Well…not that I would've given Little Saihitei puppy snacks, but the feeling is close enough.

"And…the subject of your death came up?" 

__

Well, back to reality.

I nodded, not volunteering any elaboration, and hoping he wouldn't ask for it. 

He smiled and shook his head. "You always inquire after the long explanations in the middle of a restaurant."

"Food makes people think better."

"If it's all the same, I think we'd better go somewhere else for this one." Taking out his wallet, he pulled out a ten-dollar bill. He had long since insisted, quite stubbornly and logically, that since I was poor and he was…well…_not_, I should stop trying to protest when he paid for my food. And I _had _stopped protesting, but still couldn't help turning a bit pink. Pink's a truckload better than red, though. So I was learning.

We wound up going to his house, since it was nicer and more conductive to serious discussion than my cardboard box of a dorm room, where the left ceiling light had begun to flicker and was now akin to some baser forms of torture. Settling on the big gray sofa in the den, his arm around my shoulders as if he were afraid I'd try to get away or something, Saihitei took a deep breath and began to explain my death, as apparently dictated to him by…me.

"It was one of the enemy, one of the Seiryuu no Shichiseishi, who killed you," he said quietly. "A huge man, said to be half wolf: Ashitare."

"Bless you," I said solemnly.

He looked at me, then finally decided to ignore me. "A huge half-wolf named Ashitare," he repeated. "You had gone alone to retrieve the Shinzaho from atop a mountain in Hokkan…the Shinzaho being, in short, an artifact we needed in order to summon Suzaku, and Hokkan being the kingdom to the North. You met Ashitare"—he gave me a warning glance—"on the mountain, and fought…to the death. You killed him. But not before…not before he could deal you a fatal blow." With a shaky hand, he reached over to touch the left side of my chest, near my ribs, and murmured… "I can see it in my mind, sometimes…even though I wasn't there, I can still see it."

__

Hotohori-sama.

Raising my own hand, I found his and squeezed it gently, trying to encourage him, remind him that that was then, this was now. I wasn't dead. And I wasn't about to _let _myself die, not any time soon.

__

Not when you have something to live for, eh? 

"You…lifted the boulder blocking the cave that held the Shinzaho," he went on. "With the last of your strength, you thought only of Miaka, of your friends, your duty as a seishi. You were always so ready to sacrifice… Nuriko, I'm sorry." His voice was choked and terse, but he was keeping himself under control. "If I had come with you, if I had left the kingdom under the control of one of my advisors, then you would have had someone to fight beside you… If there had been two of us, we could have defeated that creature with barely a scratch…"

__

Stop feeling guilty because of me, stupid.

Leaning forward, I wrapped my arms around his neck. "It's okay, Hotohori-sama," I promised. "It wasn't your fault. Don't you _dare _think it was your fault." He'd said the same thing to me often enough; it was time for a taste of his own medicine. With a sigh, he smiled a little and brushed my hair out of my eyes. 

__

Well, I thought, _now I know what happened, anyway, even if I don't remember much firsthand. Where's the rush of memories that's supposed to follow this explanation, huh??? On a delayed schedule, or what?_

But the memories didn't come right away. I dunno if I really expected them to do so, I guess, but I was kinda hoping they would. 

We were so caught up in our little Kodak moment that we almost missed Saihitei's cell phone ringing. Detaching himself (at least partly) from me, he reached for it and answered. Eyes wandering to me, he blinked twice, then said, "Yes, one moment, please," and handed the thing to _me._

Who the hell is calling ME on SAIHITEI'S cell phone???

I accepted it cautiously. "H-hello?"

"Ryuu-chan!" said Genrou. "Guessed you'd be with the fuckin boytoy. Whatcha kids doin? A widdle kissy kisssssy _kiiiissssyyyyyyy_????"

I blushed. So much for subtly pink. "You're a freak," I informed him. "And the answer is NO."

"Uh-huh."

"Why are you calling me on Saihitei's phone, anyway?"

"Well, I figured, if you weren't at home, you'd be with the fuckin hand model."

__

He does have nice hands, at that.

"But what do you need me for?"

"Oh," he said brightly, "just to inform ya that we're all fuckin _morons_."

"Excuse me?"

"Yeah. With all the fuckin excitin shit that's been goin on for the past few weeks, we seem to have forgotten one small but _incredibly _fuckin _important _little thing."

"Yeah? What?"

"_MY FUCKING TESSEN, YOU IDIOT!!!! WE LOST MY GODDAMN FUCKING TESSEN!!!!!!!"_

My mouth fell open, and I slumped back against the sofa.

"Shit," I said.

TBC…

****

ANOTHER STORY AKUGI!!! (Gaaaahhhh, I forgot to do one AGAIN last time!!! Well, some chapter when I have a lot I could make fun of, I'll throw in two to make up for it. ^_^ )

Ryuuen: So, how did I die, anyway?

****

Saihitei: Well, once upon a time…

****

Mouse-chan: You DIDN'T die!!!! You didn't die!!! You were just faking it!!!

****

Ryuuen: What the fuck??

****

Mouse-chan: **grabs Ryuuen's shirt** Tell me you were just playing a joke.

****

Ryuuen: HellOOOO???? I don't REMEMBER, genius!!!

****

Saihitei: ~.~() Mouse-chan…perhaps we ought to look into psychiatric assistance…

****

Mouse-chan: **menacing and very dangerous-looking, for a shorty** Tell me you're…_not…dead._

****

Ryuuen: Okay okay okay, I'm not dead!!! I never died!! It was all a practical joke, and Tasuki was in on the whole thing!!

****

Genrou: OI!!!!

****

Ryuuen: In fact, it was _him _that came up with the whole thing!! Him!! Him!! It's HIS fault they made it look like I died!!!

****

Mouse-chan: **throttles Genrou**

****

Genrou: **choking** _This…is why…I…HATE…GIRLS!!!!!!!_


	18. Whoah.

****

Disclaimer: --;;

****

Warnings: Tasuki language, shounen sap, psychological stuff, ummmm……slight Keanu Reeves bashing. Sorry, KR fans. ~.~()

****

Notes: Whazzaaaap, everyone?? ^_^ Thanks for reading, and for reviewing, too. ^___^ Sorry I haven't been writing as quickly as I'd like, but as I've said before, AHHHHHH, SCHOOOOOOL!!!! ~.~() But, anyway…I hope you guys like this. And I put two akugis at the end to make up for all the times I've been overeager to post and forgot them. ^_^ Anyhoo, have fun! Love ya! **glomps to all**

****

ANOTHER STORY

Chapter Eighteen:

Whoah.

"How the heck could you _forget about it_???" I demanded, three seconds away from trying to tear my hair out. The three of us—Saihitei, Genrou, and I—had converged on the empty lot that had once been Dinah's Diner, and were now staring blankly and helplessly at the lack of anything resembling a tessen in the area.

"Well, fuckin _excuuuuuuse meeeee_!" Gen-chan yelled. "Not like I was fuckin _messed up _or anythin at the time, having just set a fuckin _building _on fire!!!"

"All right," said Saihitei, Mr. Calm. "Let's try not to kill each other. Agreed?"

Genrou glowered. I sighed shakily and crossed my arms. I wasn't mad, really… _frustrated_, but not mad. How were we gonna _find _the thing, for crying out loud??!!! It could be lost in a pile of rubble from the explosion, in which case it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack…or, worse, some random dude could've picked it up, in which case our chances of finding it were as slim as a supermodel in a child-sized corset.

__

Stop with the similes, would ya? They don't flatter you.

"Well, shit," said Gen-chan finally, "it sucks that the fuckin thing is missin, but it's not like it'll cause any fuckin damage."

"Um…isn't it kinda…a weapon of mass destruction?" I said cynically.

"Well, actually," said Saihitei, "correct me if I'm wrong, but Tasuki…you're the only one who is able to use the tessen, are you not? After Taiitsukun enhanced our powers, she remade the tessen so that it could only be used by you."

Gen-chan raised an eyebrow. "Well, fuck, I dunno about all _that _shit. What _I _fuckin mean is, who the fuck is gonna know ya have to fuckin say 'Rekka Shinen' for the goddamn thing ta work???!!"

Blinking, Saihitei assumed a thoughtful expression. "Well…you do have a point there. But I'm fairly certain my reason is true, as well."

"Oh, yeah," snorted Gen-chan. "Cuz yer _always _fuckin right, Mister Fuckin Perfect Fuckin Keanu Reeves Wannabe."

"You take that back," Saihitei warned through clenched teeth, his eyes narrowing. 

"Fuckin _make me_, girly boy!!!"

"STOOOOOOOOOOOP!!!!!" I shouted, flailing out with both hands. My left one struck only air; the right one, however, collided with Gen-chan's jaw and sent him soaring across the lot. He landed on his back about ten feet away from us with a loud thud and a slightly louder "oof."

Saihitei and I stared at him, all three of us more or less frozen. Then Saihitei put his hand on my shoulder, making me look up at him.

"In the future," he said calmly, "it might be wise to remind yourself of your newfound power, to prevent accidentally crippling someone."

"Eheh," I said sheepishly.

"Still," he continued, "anyone who compares _me _to _Keanu Reeves_ has it coming to them."

I gave him the big eyes. "Yes, sweetie. You're much cuter than he is."

Looking pleased, he hugged my shoulders impulsively. "You're such a lovely, intelligent young creature."

__

Ehehehehehehehe.

"Aaahhhhhhem," called Gen-chan, who, by this time, had pulled himself to a sitting position and was regarding us with something between boredom and malice. "Remember me? The guy ya fuckin socked?"

I trotted to his side, dropping to my knees beside him. "I'm really sorry, Gen-chan…I didn't even think…are you okay?"

"Little fuckin late, wouldn't ya say?"

__

Heh…he's fine.

"Well, I know your head's too hard to damage that easily," I grinned, messing up his hair.

"_Stop_, man," he said, twisting away.

"Sorry I hit you."

He grunted.

"And I'm…sorry I behaved in such a belligerent fashion," said Saihitei.

Genrou grunted again, and climbed to his feet, dusting his pants off…not that it would've made a difference, since Genrou's pants were perpetually dirty anyway. 

Saihitei cleared his throat pointedly.

"Right, right, right…I'm sorry I called ya a fuckin Keanu Reeves wannabe," Gen-chan growled, but we knew he meant it. "I'm just fuckin pissed with myself. I can't _believe _I forgot about the thing."

"Well, these things happen," I said, still kneeling on the ground. "I mean, I've been forgetting to return my library books for about a month, so…_dammit_!!!" My eyes suddenly flew open. "Aw, _man_!! I can't believe I forgot about them _again_!!!"

"We should go try to find out where the rubble from this site was moved," said Saihitei. 

"And what? Pretend we're professional rubble hunters?" I said dryly.

He smiled. "There's always the option of claiming we accidentally left something at the site. Come on, now; let's go." Reaching down, he looped an arm around my waist and hauled me up like a rug, carrying me for about five yards before finally deciding that I could, in fact, walk by myself. For my part, I was too caught off guard to do much in the way of protest; when I'd "regained my footing," I could only stand there slack-jawed, watching my boyfriend calmly continue on his way to the car.

__

He looooooooves meeeee!!! Yeah, yeah, yeah…

Almost drooling in my pathetic state of goopy happiness, I turned as if drugged to look at Gen-chan, to make it known to him—quite inanely—that my boyfriend was super cool. But the goopiness soon changed to shock at the sight of Gen-chan running right at me, shoulders low like a football player; before I could move, he'd plowed into me with a playful roar and hoisted me over his shoulder like a freaking Viking bride.

"GAAHHAAAAAAA!!!!!!" I cried as we ran past Saihitei, who blinked dumbly, then resumed his meandering pace. We reached the car, and Genrou leaned against it casually, making no move to put me down. 

"'Sup," he nodded at Saihitei as he approached.

"Hi," Saihitei returned, going around to unlock his door.

"Ummmmmm, excusemehello????" I said, trying to struggle.

__

But don't do anything too hard!! You might knock him over again; you don't know how hard you can hit without sending him to the freaking moon!!

"Gen-chaaaannnn!!!" I whined. "Put me _dowwwwwwwn_!!!"

"Yo, Sai. Where the fuck're we goin? PD?" he said, ignoring me.

Saihitei nodded. "Seems like the best place to ask…don't you think?"

__

Maybe that blond dude will be there again! Man, what's Saihitei gonna say to that? 

"Right, I'll meetcha there," Gen-chan nodded, _finally _opening the passenger door and plopping me down on the seat.

"Ya spazz!!" I called after his retreating figure, then turned to Saihitei with folded arms. "Why didn't ya save me????!!!!"

He started up the engine and tossed me a dashing smile. "I was trying. I thought if I ignored him, he would feel slighted at the lack of attention and discontinue the abduction."

"Didn't work," I informed him blandly.

"Well, you see, now I know that," he acknowledged, pulling out into the street. "And next time, I will resort to other tactics to rescue you from the evil clutches of your best friend."

"_Next time???_ HAH!!" I scoffed. "There will be no next time. Once I figure out how hard I can hit without causing irreversible damage, with God as my witness, I shall never be manhandled again!!!" I started "doo-ing" along to the Gone with the Wind theme song, and struck a dramatic pose.

He chuckled, and I leaned back happily, content that I'd made him laugh. But then, his face fell the slightest bit.

My heart gave a little tremor. _Don't be sad! Don't be sad, don't be sad, why the heck are you sad???_ "You okay?"

With a frown, he looked at me briefly before turning his eyes back to the road. "You…you don't think I _really _look like Keanu Reeves, do you?…"

I relaxed. _Silly idiot. _"Of course you don't. Well, you have the whole Matrix Trench-coat thing going, but as far as _look _goes…"

The look he gave me then was reminiscent of an eight-year-old orphan hoping to be adopted.

"Ehhhh…you're _certainly _better looking," I said. "No question about it. You're not as…uhhh….stubbly. And you have nicer hair. And nicer eyes. And…" 

__

How come he's so obsessed with his appearance, and always tries to get me to forget about my own???

"And…" _He's being a hypocrite. _"And why's it important, anyway?" I demanded. "You're you! It doesn't matter if you look like Keanu Reeves or Tom Cruise or or or Robert de Niro!!!"

"_Robert de Niro_???"

"Stop it! You're you, you're you, you're you!!! And you can't tell me to stop being so insecure about myself when you do the same thing! It doesn't matter." I smiled to take at least a _little _bit of the sting out of my words, in case there was the possibility that they _might _sting. "Heart to heart, ya know? Not….face to face."

"Ryuuen," he said, again glancing over at me. "I know. I'm all about the heart thing."

"Then, why do you keep making such a big deal about the way you look?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Call it force of habit," he said.

__

Ummmm…okay? "Not that you look like Robert de Niro," I said, "because I really think you're…" …_Stunningly attractive? Good-looking as hell? God-like? _"…very handsome. But you don't have to seem so worried about it all the time." 

__

Ya know, this is probably a dead end. He's GOTTA know appearance isn't everything. Look who he's going out with!

Maybe…maybe he's just as insecure as I am!

Wow. _That _was a weird concept. That Perfect Saihitei could be…self-conscious? _Him_???? What the heck could he have to be self conscious about??? He was smart, he was pretty, he was one of THE nicest guys I had ever met in my life…and funny, in a weird kinda way…

But…I suppose anyone could be insecure, because when you're inside yourself, you can't see what others see. And it probably takes a lot of effort for people to see themselves as they really are.

__

"Shall I tell you what I _see?"_

I blinked, taking in his profile: the long, elegant nose; the shining hair, the smooth skin, the dark eyelashes. 

__

That's what he tried to tell me. I can't see what others see. And maybe he can't, either.

How can he possibly be insecure about his looks?? It doesn't make sense; he's always seemed so confident about…

Oh.

It suddenly popped into my head that maybe it _wasn't _his looks that had him all worried. Maybe it was something else, like…well…_me. _He said he'd been waiting his whole life to find me. He had memories of me; memories of ignoring me, of making me unhappy…maybe he'd even known I'd cried because of him. And now, he really, really wanted to put things right. 

__

He has to keep reaffirming his physical attractiveness because he thinks it's the only way I'll notice him. _The only way ANYONE will ever notice him._

He was so lonely…being the emperor. No one cared about the person wearing all those titles and ornaments, no one but me, until Miaka came. No one bothered to get to know him. They judged him by his looks, and his crown.

The now overly familiar feel of tears filled my eyes, and I promised myself that I'd make him realize the truth. That I wouldn't love him if he were handsome and a jerk. That he was now and had always been the greatest guy; even in the past when things couldn't work out for us, it was destiny that was the cause of my unhappiness, not him.

We pulled into the parking lot of the police department, and I bolted from the car. Running around the hood to meet him as he shut his own door gently behind him, I leaped into his arms—no, really; _leaped_, so that when he caught me, my feet were dangling about half a foot above the ground—wrapped my arms around his neck, and kissed him right on the mouth.

__

WAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!!!! This is the first time I'VE kissed HIM!!!! THAT'LL show him!!! 

When I pulled away, craning my head back so I could see beyond his nostrils, he was staring at me like I'd just pinned a feather on his head.

"Was the car ride really that enjoyable?" 

"You know, you're the best," I said firmly. 

"Umm…well, thank you," he said, regarding me quizzically.

With a satisfied smile, I tucked my head against his neck and sighed.

__

Confidence, dammit!!! You're not just another pretty face! 

"I wouldn't fall in love with just anyone, you know," I said quietly. "Not just any handsome past-life emperor. Only you."

He didn't say anything, which I took as a good sign. It meant he knew I really meant it. And it was one of those perfect moments, where the only people in the entire world are you and the one you love…our hearts beating against each other, his breath falling softly on my neck…

"Isn't it kinda fuckin stupid exhibiting like that in front of the fuckin PD?" called Gen-chan.

__

Damn. Forgot about him.

Still smiling, I slid back to the ground and turned around. "Your manners never fail to astound me."

He grinned, showing off both fangs. "Can I show the happy couple to the fuckin honeymoon suite?" he said, jerking his head toward the building. "Pun intended, in this case."

My face colored. "Drop dead, hammerboy. Just because we're dating doesn't mean we…"

"Fuck!!" said Genrou. "Ya think that fuckin blond guy'll be here again?"*

I winced at his language. However, Saihitei didn't seem to be phased at all. "Blond guy?" he inquired.

"Yeah," I said. "The guy who let Gen-chan go that time was…blond."

"Ah," he nodded.

Genrou and I shared an uneasy look. Although neither of us remembered specifically what Blond Dude had done in the past, Saihitei most certainly would. We were willing to give him another chance, but neither of us had anything personally against him, nothing we could remember that would really strike home. But did Saihitei?

__

I hope he's not working today…I hope he's not there…I hope he's not there…

"Well. Shall we?" said Saihitei, moving to go up the stairs. Gen-chan and I both took deep breaths and followed him, and…

…The cell phone rang. Again.

Saihitei made a surprised sound, then spun back around. He dug out the phone, snapped it open, held it to his ear, and stuffed his other hand in his pocket. "Hello?"

"Who the fuck is that, d'ya spose?" said Gen-chan.

"Well, it's not you, and it's not me," I said brightly.

He gave me a Look; I winked at him. Then he reached up and flicked me in the nose.

"Hey—OWWW!!!" I exclaimed, covering the offended body part with both hands.

"Ah, c'mon, it didn't fuckin hurt." He rolled his eyes. "Nothin like gettin a full goddamn punch in the puss."

"That was an _accident_!!!" I said, my voice muffled by my hand.

"Oh, _once _it was a fuckin accident…" Gen-chan began, but our spat was interrupted by Saihitei coming quickly back own the stairs, parting the air between us. After a slight pause, we hurried after him.

"Saihitei? What's up? Who was that?" I asked, worried that it might be bad news, the way he'd reacted to it.

"That," he said, "was Taka. We have to go see him right away."

"What? Why?" 

He sighed, putting his key once more into the lock on his car. "Miaka called."

"And _that's _fuckin cause for an emergency meeting?" said Genrou. "Oooooh, Miaka called!! Ooooh, the two of them exchanged loving words."

"Shut up," I frowned, stopping myself from swatting him just in time. "Would ya let him finish??"

Saihitei shot a disapproving look at Gen-chan, then moved his eyes to mine. 

__

Oh, no, I thought, _it IS bad news. It IS._

"It's Houjun," my boyfriend said, in a calm voice that belayed his obvious agitation. "He's run off. He's gone."

TBC…

* (trying to hide snickers) I'M SORRY!!! I'm sorry…I couldn't help it!!! AHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

ANOTHER STORY AKUGI!!!! Take One: ****

Saihitei: We should go try to find out where the rubble from this site was moved.

Ryuuen: And what? Pretend we're professional rubble hunters? ****

Genrou: **donning a safari hat, adopting an Australian accent** Join us es we geah inta the jangle ta hunt deahn the elewwwsive Dinah Rabble!!

****

Ryuuen: End deahn't fergit ta tewn in at ah SPESHUW toime next weik!

****

Saihitei: What the fuck are you two TALKING about???…

Take Two: ****

Ryuuen: **narrating** We pulled into the parking lot of the police department, and I bolted from the car. Running around the hood to meet him as he shut his own door gently behind him, I leaped into his arms—

****

Saihitei: **calmly steps out of the way**

****

Ryuuen: **runs into a tree**

****

Genrou: **dies laughing**


	19. ...Anyway...

****

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this story except for the plot, and even that's a bit sketchy, because some of it's been done before. ^__^

****

Warnings: Language (thanks a bundle, Tasuki-chan. --;;), shounen ai, stupid jokes, lalala.

****

Notes: Hi! Well…turns out I have more work to do this semester than last semester, so I'm sorry I haven't been updating more. Sowwyyyyyy. ~.~() Anyhoo……I must dedicate this chapter to Schwencky (yeah, you KNOW who you are :P), just because she read the rest of the silly story and she's cool, and Tasuki lives in her dorm room. ^___^ And what's so funny about baby farmers??? ^_~ 

****

ANOTHER STORY

Chapter 19:

…_Anyway.._.

I sat on the Crappy Couch with my knees drawn up to my chest, chin resting on said knees, shoulders slumped. Doukun was across from me in the armchair with a thoughtful frown on his face; Taka stood at his side, arms folded firmly across his chest as if he didn't know what else to do with them. Myojuan on my right side, Saihitei on my left, with his arm around me, pulling me to lean slightly into him. I would have felt bad that he was paying me such attention at such a time, if I didn't think it was as much for his own benefit as for mine. As long as he had me to comfort, to take care of, he wouldn't give in to his own worries. The thought that this might be psychologically taxing seemed slightly pale in the face of our need to approach this newfound crisis calmly and logically.

However, this didn't seem to have occurred to Genrou, who was pacing furiously back and forth behind the couch.

__

I wish he'd stop it. 

"Tasuki," snapped Taka, "_stop it_. You're not helping anything by acting like that."

"Yeah, well, you fuckin deal with it _your _way, I'll deal with it _mine_," Gen-chan shot back. "_Fuck_! I can't see how you guys can just fuckin _sit _there at a time like this!!"

"We are _trying _to figure out what the hell to _do_!!" Taka shouted. "We're not gonna get _anywhere _by following _your _example!!!"

"What the _fuck _are you…"

"That's _ENOUGH_!!!!" roared Myojuan, rising from the couch and clenching his fists.

I let out a gasp that was really no more than a sharp intake of breath, startled by his sudden anger. I'd never heard Myojuan shout before, and it was like hearing Harpo Marx singing a song by Linkin Park. Luckily, Taka and Gen-chan were just as surprised, and stopped their pointless argument in mid-curse.

"We can't let frustration keep us from working together on this," Myojuan said, his voice quieter, but still firm and authoritarian. "We have to keep our heads."

Silent agreement from the rest of us.

"Now," said Myojuan, "Taka. Would you please go over everything one more time?"

Taka took a deep breath. "Miaka hasn't heard from Houjun in three days. She thought it was weird, since they usually hang out a lot, or at least talk online. So she went over to the graduate dorms to see him, and his roommate said he hadn't been there for a while. She was going to call today anyway, she said, but she got an email from him that said something like, 'I'm sorry my mask didn't die when I did; I'm going back to the river.'"

"Fuckin nuts." Genrou shook his head, but he looked concerned.

__

It's my fault. It's my fault.

"And we've already concluded that, given the content of the message, he's remembered who he was," Myojuan nodded. "Without prompting from any of us."

"That must have been a shock," said Doukun quietly.

I was absolutely miserable. And then, Empathic Saihitei squeezed me gently and whispered, "I think it's all right for you to tell them now."

"I should have _made _him talk to us," I whispered, touching my forehead to my knees and gripping my legs more tightly. "I should have _made _him…"

"…Ryuu-chan?" said Myojuan, gingerly resuming his seat beside me. "You…know something, don't you?"

__

Stop being a dork. You're not helping with your pathetic drama any more than Gen-chan and Taka were.

Slowly, I raised my head, moving my arms from around my knees to hug myself around the chest. 

__

Deep breath.

"Houjun's…remembered since he was little, just like Taka and Saihitei," I began in a small voice. And I explained the Tale of Houjun for the _second _time that day. "I'm so sorry, I should've told you guys, and you would've known what to do…I didn't know he'd go off like that. I told him to email me; why didn't he? Why'd he have to let it get all out of control?" _Rambling, rambling, and again…NOT HELPING._ "I said we were there for him, I said we would help him! Why didn't he _listen _to me? Didn't he _trust _me?" My voice had risen considerably in volume, surprising me, displaying my own anger, which I hadn't really been aware of. Shocked by my own words and tone, I cut myself off, snapping my trembling jaw closed.

"Shhhhhhh, sh sh shh," Saihitei soothed, rubbing my arm. "Chichiri's decision was his own to make. And you weren't wrong in keeping his secret."

"He shouldn't have put you in that position," added Myojuan firmly. 

__

I suppose. I nodded briefly, not meeting either of their eyes, and rested my ear on Saihitei's shoulder. He kissed the top of my head gently. 

"What the fuck is up with the fuckin note?" Gen-chan demanded. "What the hell's all this about a mask and a fuckin river? He's off his rocker!"

"We have to find him," said Taka firmly.

"No _shit_."

"I already told Miaka I was driving to Indiana to help," Taka continued. "Anyone who wants to come along is more than welcome. Personally, I think _all _of us should go. But I won't tell you guys what to do."

Myojuan nodded. "We all should go."

"But…how long will it take?" said Doukun hesitantly.

"What the fuck does it matter?! Fuckin Psychopathic Houjun is out there wandering around by the fuckin river like some sorta monkish Anne Heche!"

Doukun looked about as miserable as I felt. "I _want _to come," he was quick to affirm. "I want to assist in any way possible. But next week is Thanksgiving Break. I was going to go home tomorrow evening; my parents will be aghast if I don't come."

Out of all of us, Doukun's parents were the most over-protective. Mine came in a close second, and I immediately began to share his worries about parental support of our Indiana Expedition.

__

It's Thanksgiving. They'll never forgive me if I'm not there.

But how many Thanksgivings have I had with them? And how much more important is this??? About a hundred times more important than eating enough sweet potatoes to feed a small army. And I'm an adult now. Yes. I'm an adult.

And even if they're angry…I can't go home now. Not with what happened. I owe it to Houjun; no matter what Saihitei says, no matter how much of a secret it was, I should've thought it through more. I can't help but feel it's kinda my fault, even if it's not true.

"Wait," said Doukun suddenly, a pensive smile creeping across his face. "Wait…I know…"

~*~

"You're doing _what?_" came my mother's distressed voice over the phone. "But Ryuuen, honey, it's _Thanksgiving_!!!"

"I know, Mom," I said, trying my best to sound noble and self-sacrificing. "But do you realize how many homeless people will have a terribly saaaad Thanksgiving if no one volunteered to set up a dinner for them?"

"I don't see why you can't at least come home for a few _days_," she went on. "We could have Thanksgiving early!"

__

Awww. "I'm sorry, Mom…but we have to get so much together…"

"Yes, yes, I suppose I understand," she sighed. "But you could have given me at least a _little _bit of notice. Telling me this three days before you're supposed to come home isn't very _considerate_ of you."

"I'm _sorry_, Mom," I said again. "I'm really sorry…it was just a last-minute thing, and they really need help."

"Where are you staying for the whole week?"

"In a hotel," I lied. Well, it probably _wasn't _that much of a lie, since we had to stay _somewhere_, and Miaka wasn't about to have all six of us crash in her dorm. 

"Who's paying for this hotel? You don't have enough money to…"

"This guy named Saihitei's paying," I said, saying the first thing that popped into my mind. _Well, again…he probably will pay, at that._

"Do I know this Saihitei?"

"No, Mom." My mother felt it was her personal duty to know absolutely everything about absolutely every person who so much as said hi to me in the hall. "He's a nice guy. Taka and Miaka have known him for a long time."

"Who else is going, again?"

__

Mother, Mother, Mother…always with the million and one questions. "Me and Taka and Genrou and Saihitei, and two guys you don't know named Myojuan and Doukun. And Miaka."

"Who's driving?"

I closed my eyes. _Patience. Patience is a virtue. _"I don't _know_, Mom."

"Well, be sure to drive with someone you know."

"I know _all of them_, Mom, and I've driven with all of them before. Lots of times."

"Are you all going in one car? Because I want you to be sure there are enough seat belts, at least make sure you get one…"

"Right. So everybody in the car can die, and that's fine, as long as I get to wear a seat belt?" I teased her.

"Right." She was joking, too. At least…I thought she was.

I giggled. "_Moooommmm…_I'll be fine. I promise. And…it'll be a good experience."

She sighed. "I know, I know, sweetie. I'm proud of you for being so sacrificing. We'll just miss you, that's all. And you know how your father and I are going to see Kourin for Christmas." My sister was taking a semester abroad in Austria, which gave my parents an excuse to travel to Europe for the first time. They had been reluctant at first, since we couldn't afford airfare for me and Rokou, too, but Rokou and I had virtually forced them to go.

"I know. But I can't get out of this now." I really would miss seeing my mom and siblings, but it couldn't be avoided. Houjun was more important.

We talked a little more about Rokou and Kourin and what they were up to, blah blah blah and et cetera. I promised to call her once every few nights when I was gone. And then…she brought up the one thing I didn't want to talk about _at all_.

"Your father sends his love."

Okay, okay, okay….BIG stereotypical thing, yes yes yes, yes yes. Conservative dad, not-so-conservative son, especially where certain…ahem…areas were concerned.

"Sure," I said, suddenly feeling tired. "Thanks." I knew he loved me. I knew he did. I loved him, too. But he was just…_aaahhhhh, _so frustrating!!! He was not, by any means, a bigoted man. But he had certain ideas about how the world should work, and one of these ideas was that people in a same-sex relationship shouldn't be allowed to get married. Now, forgive me if I rant for a while, but the man _openly admitted _that the vast majority of the gay people he knew were some of the nicest people in the world! So _whyyyyyyy _shouldn't they be allowed to be _happyyyyyy_???? For crying out loud. 

Who knows if his opinions would change if he knew of his own son's newfound relationship. But I didn't wanna take the chance. Let's just say that his position already kinda hurt my feelings. 

Everyone else knew. Well, in my immediate family, at least. Mom had been a hippie in the 70s, with the whole "Free Love, Woohoo!!" mantra tucked under her belt, so it didn't come as a big blow to her, hehehe. But, well, anyway, enough of that. I didn't have time to think about it. 

"Tell him I love him, too," I said into the receiver. "And say hi to the others when you talk to them!"

We said good-bye, and I hung up the phone and went into the den. Taka immediately grinned and went to call his own folks. Everyone else looked pensive and serious, trying to figure out where Houjun could have run off to, and why. Well, maybe why wasn't such a big question, since the guy certainly wasn't in his right mind. But whatever. Returning to the urgent question at hand certainly made me lose the train of thought my stupid mind had recently boarded concerning my dad.

"The river," said Saihitei. "That's where Chichiri got his scar, struggling with Hikou…"

"He has a scar?" Doukun said.

Myojuan nodded, frowning. "Yes. Yes, I…I remember that."

__

Well, you can have a cookie now. I giggled despite myself, earning puzzled glances from my friends. 

"Ahhh……..sorry," I said, smile fading immediately, and sat down next to Saihitei again. _Even when you don't want to lighten the mood, your subconscious just goes ahead and does it for you. Sheesh._

"Goin to the fuckin river," Gen-chan grumbled. "That's fantastic. Just fuckin super. Only about twelve billion fuckin rivers in the country."

"We'll have to wait until we get to Indiana to try to fully ponder exactly where he is," Doukun said. "What's important now is that we all get to Miaka right away. We should all go fetch our valises."

"That's Doukun for 'suitcases,'" I translated.

"Ah," said Saihitei. "Forgive me. It seems I've forgotten to bring along my Doukun-to-English Dictionary."

Doukun shook his head. "I don't understand. How can you people so easily interpret exactly what Genrou is saying, with his remarkable usage of slang, curses, and colloquialism, and not understand me when I mention a simple foreign word?"

"I understood!" I raised my hand and waved it around.

"Good for you; I'm very proud of you." He nodded in my direction. "The rest of you, however…"

"Ah, shut the fuck up," said Gen-chan.

"While I hate to interrupt," said Saihitei, "and while it might be better to wait until all of us are present to discuss this…does anyone have a van? It would be much easier, I think, if we all traveled in the same vehicle…"

"We could rent a bus!" I exclaimed.

"_No fuckin way_!!!!" Genrou exploded. "This ain't gonna be no fuckin 'Priscilla, Queen of the Fuckin Desert'! Not if _I _have anythin to say about it!!"

"Oh, can it," I told him, rolling my eyes. "Other people besides drag queens _do _rent buses, you know."

"Myojuan has a van," Doukun piped up.

We all looked up at Myojuan.

"You do?" I asked, surprised. "Since when?"

"It's Shouka's brother's," he confessed with a nod. "It's kind of a…a swap. He's taking his girlfriend home for Thanksgiving, and he was embarrassed about having a van, so he traded it for my car for the week."

"That's stupid," I said. "If she cares so much about what kinda car he drives, he doesn't need her! I mean, who cares about a _car_???"

Gen-chan chuckled. "Easy for _you _to say, when yer boyfriend has a fuckin _Acura_."

"That's not _my _fault!" I exclaimed, slightly offended. "I didn't know!! It just came with the package! I fell in love with him _before _that; I still loved him when he was drunk and passed out on top of me, so you think I'd care what kind of _car _he had??? I'd still be his boyfriend even if he drove a…a pickup truck!! A rusty one!! With holes in the side!"

He roared with laughter, and spoofed in a squeaky voice: " 'Well, gee, Farmer Sai, y'think we oughta leave the cattle outside t'night? Looks like there might be a STOOOOORM a-comin!' 'Aww, don' worry, little lady,'" he continued, considerably deeper. " 'Jest hop inta th' kitchen thar an' fix me sum grits!!' " He collapsed against the wall, cracking up. No one joined him.

"…_Anyway_," said Myojuan calmly, "there's room for seven in the van. And we could probably fit more than that. So I can drive."

"Great," I said, standing slowly and hmph-ing at Gen-chan. "Well…I'll go pack, then, okay? Are we leaving tonight? I bet we could make it to Perry before midnight."

Myojuan nodded. "I think the sooner we leave, the better. Everyone?"

Doukun and Saihitei both nodded, getting up, as well. Gen-chan was too wrapped up in his stupid joke to vote. 

Just as we were heading to the door, Taka returned from the kitchen, looking confused. The three of us stopped short, held fast by his expression.

"Tamahome?" said Saihitei carefully.

"Um." He raised his hand to show us something he was holding. It was a small, red mirror.

"What's that?" Doukun inquired, echoing my own thoughts. But Saihitei didn't seem to need the question answered. Grabbing Taka's hand, he stared at the thing in amazement, eyes wide.

"It's…"

Taka nodded. "Somehow, yes."

I tugged at Saihitei's arm. "What _is _it?"

"Look," he said, tipping it so that I could see the glass. So I looked. And I saw…

"Chinese writing?" I looked up into his eyes, lost.

He met my gaze, and nodded.

"Well…what's it say?"

Saihitei turned back to the symbol. "Jiyuu," he said. "Freedom."

"Freedom," Taka agreed. "Or…_liberty_."

****

TBC…

Notes: GEEEEEEEEE!!!!! Where could Chichiri have gone????????? --;;

****

ANOTHER STORY AKUGI!!!!

Taka: …She got an email from him that said something like, 'I'm sorry my mask didn't die when I did; I'm going back to the river.'

****

***FADE TO HOUJUN'S POV***

Houjun: **dragging raft down to the river** C'mon, Jim!! They're after us! We ain't got a minute to lose!!

****

Jim: But I ain't got all the provisions aboard yet!

****

Houjun: Forget that! Just shove off and I'll lay in with that pole, Jim!!!!

****

Jim: Ya sure look taller today, Huck.

****

Houjun: Yeah. This is how tall I am when I'm being serious.

****

Jim: And ya stopped sayin 'No Da' all the time, too.

****

Houjun: Look, wouldja shaddap???!! I'm trying to get you to freedom, for crying out loud!!!

****

Jim: How'd you get your hair to stick up like that??

****

Houjun: …..--;;

****

Elijah Wood: **swimming out to the raft** HEYYY!!!! You're stealing my part!!!

****

Jim: ????????

****

Houjun: Ah, get lost, Frodo! You haven't had this part since you were twelve!

****

Elijah Wood: But…

****

Hotohori: ELIJAH!!!! I'LL SAVE YOU!!!!! **jumps into the water**

****

Elijah Wood: **starts sinking**

****

Hotohori: EEEEEELLLLLLLLLLIIIIIIIIIIIIIJJJJJJJJJJAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

****

(Nuriko, Tasuki, et al, watching from shore: --;; **)**

Hotohori: **starts glowing and walking over the water carrying Elijah Wood, Jesus-style, à la Episode Where He Saved Miaka**

****

Nuriko: **tosses Elijah away** Hotohori-sama!!! Daijobu ka????!!!

****

Hotohori: I've saved Frodo!!!

****

Elijah Wood: GET OFF THE ROAD!!!!!

^_~

(PS: yeahhhh….this akugi makes more sense if you've seen the Elijah Wood version of Huck Finn. ^___^ Ja, everybody!)


	20. "Umm...Breadstick?"

****

Disclaimers: FY not mine. No books mentioned in this chapter are mine, either. ^_^

****

Warnings: Tasuki language. Spoilers—believe it or not—for _Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone_. ^_^() Probably sap. Shounen ai. ^__^ 

****

Notes: Sorry this took so long!! Gahhhhhhh………….stupid school. **sigh** Personal apology to DemonDancing, heehee! **waves** Sorry for keeping you waiting! ^_~ I hope this chapter's okay. ^^;;; Ne, Kokkei, Plushie's skating and being show-offy as I'm typing this. Curse you and your Tom Cullen hair cut, Plushie!! **shakes fist** Heehee.

Have fun, everyone! Thanks for reading; hope ya like it.

****

ANOTHER STORY

Chapter 20:

"Umm…Breadstick?"

Six o'clock found all six of us piled into Shouka's brother's full-sized mauve van, half an hour into our haphazard road trip, singing along to one of Gen-chan's mix tapes. He was quite the Gorillaz fan, so the song gracing our ears at the moment was 19-2000, and we were singing in parts. Since Gen-chan was the only one who actually knew all the lyrics, he sang the verses—believe it or not, the guy actually has a pretty decent singing voice—while Doukun and I did the "Got the cool shoeshine" bit, and Taka and the others chimed in with the background stuff and the "Doo DOO doo DOO doo!" Although…it was really mostly Taka who did that part, since Myojuan was driving and Saihitei had to stop singing periodically while trying not to laugh at us. Anyway, it was great fun.

"You guys, we should form a boy band!!" I exclaimed when the song was over, completely and utterly _kidding_. The others, it seemed, were not amused, and Gen-chan and Doukun threw their pillows at my head.

"Don't you _ever _fuckin say that again," Gen-chan warned.

"Yeah, we all know you're a closet Britney Spears fan," I accused teasingly.

"_GODDAMMIT_!!" he cried. "It's fuckin _normal_!!! The girl is fuckin _hot_!! If you weren't fuckin gay, you'd feel the same way!!"

Doukun raised an eyebrow at him, and Myojuan gave him a similar look in the rearview mirror.

"Fuckin weirdos," Gen-chan huffed, folding his arms.

"I thought you _hated _girls, Gen-chan," I reminded him.

"She's not a fuckin girl! She's…a singer!"

"Okay, people," piped up Doukun, "can we turn the music down for a while, please? I'm going to try to get some homework completed while I'm still sane enough to do so."

Myojuan nodded and turned down the volume; Genrou immediately began complaining.

"Ohhhhh, come _oooonnnnnnnnnn_!!! Fuckin _forget _about the fuckin homework!! We're on a road trip!!! Rrrrrrrrrrroad trip!!!!"

"Calm _down_, Pyro Spazz!! Give him a break, he can study if he wants to!" Taka called from the passenger seat.

"Well, what'm _I _supposed to do, goddammit??" 

"_Shut up_!!" 

"Read a book, or something," I suggested, taking out one of my own from my knapsack. Saihitei did the same.

"Fuckin _book_," he groaned. 

"You can have one of mine," I offered, handing him one.

Grudgingly, he looked at the cover. "Harry Potter? What the _fuck_, Ryuuen?? This is a fuckin _kids _book!!"

"There are people older and more mature than you who have read and enjoyed it," I told him cheerfully.

"I enjoyed Harry Potter very much," Saihitei contributed. (He himself was reading a biography of Harry S. Truman.)

"As did I," Myojuan added. Doukun nodded, and Taka gave us a thumbs up.

"You've gotta be fuckin kiddin me," Gen-chan growled.

"And the movie version comes out _tomorrow_!" I said, bouncing.

He glared at me.

"Love ya, Tasuki-chan," I beamed. 

"Hey, Juan," Gen-chan called to the front, "are we plannin on stoppin fer fuckin dinner, or what?" 

"Don't call me 'Juan,'" Myojuan insisted calmly; Genrou had pronounced it the Spanish way, 'Huan,' which he had a teasingly annoying tendency to do. "If everyone feels like stopping, we certainly can. It would save Miaka some worry about how and what to feed us. But perhaps we can wait until we cross the border before stopping again."

Everyone agreed, and I huddled down in the very back seat—Gen-chan and I were in the very back, Myojuan and Taka were up front, and Doukun and Saihitei were in the separated chairs in the middle—and began reading 'Wizard and Glass,' by Stephen King. 

__

You should really be reading your primary sources for your thesis, my logical and diligent side nagged.

__

It's Thanksgiving Breeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaak, was my normal side's excuse, and I guess it worked, because Logic shut the heck up right away.

A ways into my chapter, though, and by no fault of Mr. King, I began fading into a light sleep. I always feel sleepy during long car rides, especially at night…and the fact that it was so quiet didn't help things much, either. My last coherent thought before my head dropped sideways onto the pillow I'd propped against the window was that I wished I'd been sitting next to Saihitei, because, as has already been established multiple times, he was a simply fantastic pillow. 

Maybe an hour and a half later, I was rudely awakened by a bump in the road the size of a small cow, which, apart from waking me up, sent me flying about a foot in the air before my seat belt kicked in.

"Oops," called Myojuan from the front. "Sorry!"

Sitting up, I rubbed my eye groggily and stretched. "Mmph. Whtimezit?"

"Almost eight o'clock," Saihitei told me, peering back at me from the middle van seat diagonal from where I sat and smiling. It was a fairly big, "Aw-My-Boyfriend's-Doing-Something-Cute-Again" smile, and I couldn't help the teeny flush that hit my cheeks. "Are you hungry?"

"Does anyone want to stop for dinner?" Myojuan asked, addressing the question via the rearview mirror.

I raised my hand. "I could eat. I'm not starving, though, so if no one else wants to stop, I can wait 'til later."

"_I'm _starving," said Tama-chan. "I could eat my weight in tacos."

"Did you know that the meat for tacos at El Super Burrito is one grade _below_ cat food?" Doukun piped up.

Silence.

"Thanks a bunch, pal," Taka grumbled.

"Oooooh, look!!! There's a sign for Fazoli's, next exit!!" I exclaimed, perking up in my seat and pointing out the window. "Dude!! They give out free breadsticks!!"

"That's fine with me," Taka said. "Is that okay with everyone else?"

A quick census showed that five out of six reincarnated seishi would be fine going to Fazoli's, with one abstention. That abstention…was Genrou, who, it seemed, was not paying attention at all.

I twisted in my seat and nudged him in the side with my foot. "Heyyyy, Gen-chan! You hungry? Wanna go to Fazoli's?"

"Dammit!" he growled, without even looking at me. "Woulja leave me the hell alone and let me read my fuckin book???!!! There's a fuckin _troll _wreakin havoc, here!!"

I giggled. "What, you mean…you actually _like _Harry Potter? But Gen-chan, it's just a stupid kid's book!"

He bristled, face coloring a bit. "Sh'uuuuuup, Ryuuen!!! Don't diss the fuckin _book_!! That fuckin red-haired kid _kicks ass_!!"

"D'ya think you can tear your eyes away from the story long enough to eat?" I said, still laughing a little, just from the irony of it all.

"No matter what he says, we're _stopping_!" Taka announced.

"Ahhhhhhh, give a guy a fuckin _break_!!" Gen-chan cried. "Nice fuckin campaign we got here! Who the fuck _are _you guys, the fuckin Anti-Literacy Warriors?? 'Nnnoooo, don't _reeeeead_!'" he mimicked, his voice a high-pitched whine. "'Don't expand your _miiiiiiiind_!!! Go to fuckin Fazoli's and gorge yourself on fuckin _breadsticks, _instead!!!'"

Taka turned from the front. "Tasuki, _geez_, take some helpful drugs, or something!"

"You can take the book into the restaurant!!" I said quickly, seeing that, from the look on Gen-chan's face, he was about three seconds away from leaping to the passenger seat and twisting Taka's head off. "You can read while we eat, okay okay okay??"

Narrowing his eyes, he turned to me, and I raised my right hand like someone being sworn in in a courtroom. "Promise," I said. 

He grunted, sulked in his seat, and started reading again. 

__

God. I've created a monster.

"You've sure found a way to keep him quiet," Doukun whispered to me through the crack between his seat and the door. I rolled my eyes and smiled.

~*~

The restaurant was dead, even for eight fifteen in the evening. And it was _freeeeezing _outside. How it had dropped to Ice Age temperatures in the two hours it had taken to get us from Illinois to Indiana, I did _not _know. All I knew was, we ran from the van to the Fazoli's like six bats out of hell. It hadn't snowed yet for us, but it was certainly getting there, and even after we'd stood in line for our food and had slid into a large red booth, Doukun and I—having less in the way of "insulation" than our friends—were still shivering violently. 

Saihitei's solution to this was, as per usual, to take off his trench coat and drape it over my shoulders with a concerned frown. I knew better, by this time, than to protest, and merely smiled my thanks. Across the table from us, Myojuan apparently thought that Saihitei's idea was a good one; removing his own navy blue coat, he offered it to Doukun, who raised a tentative eyebrow.

"Go on," rumbled Myojuan, pressing the item of clothing further in our friend's direction. "Take it; it was foolish to leave your own in the trunk."

Doukun accepted it, giving his benefactor a dry look. "All right. But this doesn't mean I'll date you." I giggled.

We ate our spaghetti and breadsticks in relative silence, simply because we were weirded out by the whole Mostly Empty Restaurant thing. Gen-chan sat there and _read _the whole time. And I got to thinking…about the whole situation with Houjun.

I'd tried to ignore it, at least until we got to Miaka's. I think we all had, because, well…there wasn't anything we could _do _about it until we actually _got _there, and too much thinking without the opportunity for doing would be pretty stressful, to say the least. We'd talked it over briefly, after Taka had found that mysterious mirror thing. He'd said it had been sent by some old scary floating woman, and that we'd had something like it back in The Past, and that it was supposed to give clues as to the whereabouts of the Warrior Guys, blah blah. So we _assumed _that it was now flashing hints at where Houjun had run off to, and the clue we had for him was "Freedom."

Taka insisted that it was referring to another possible translation of the same symbol: "Liberty." And he had submitted the belief that, therefore, Houjun was heading to New York City. There was a river there, after all. A river and the Statue of Liberty. It was the best we had to go on, so we took it. I didn't want to think about what would happen if we were wrong. But hopefully, once we met up with Miaka, she'd be able to t…

"What the fuck is up with the breadstick dude?!" Genrou had, apparently, torn himself away from his newfound guilty pleasure to pose the irritated question. I was startled out of my Deep Thoughts, and blinked stupidly across the table at him. "We've been waitin fifteen fuckin _minutes _for the fuckin guy with the basket to give us some goddamn breadsticks!! Where the hell _is _he??" 

I peered over the booth to see if the Breadstick Man was in sight, but to no avail. "I dunno…maybe they don't do the free breadstick basket thing this close to closing," I said with a shrug.

"Goddammit, I want my fuckin _breadsticks_," he growled. 

"If you'll kindly nail your mouth shut with a railroad spike, I'd be happy to give you mine," Doukun offered.

"Yeah, here," I said, taking one of my own and reaching over to drop it onto Gen-chan's plate.

"That's not…the fuckin…_point_," Gen-chan said through clenched teeth. "They say they have free fuckin breadsticks here, and I ain't got no free fuckin breadsticks."

"Then, you have _some_?" Doukun said, deadpan.

Genrou gave him an enraged "What The Hell?" look; Myojuan rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly, and Saihitei was taking in the conversation with mild interest. On my other side, Taka was completely ignoring everything, digging happily into his lasagna. 

"Double negative," I explained to my red-haired friend sheepishly, just as Myojuan practically groaned the same thing from beneath his hand.

"What the fuck does that have to do with _anything_??!!!"

"Will ya stop _shouting_?" I hissed. "Just go back to Hogwarts and…_stay_ there for a while!!!" Vaguely, I was aware that Saihitei had raised his arm and was waving at something, for some bizarre reason.

"Fuckin _double negative_???!!! Buncha fuckin _grammar Nazis_!!! What the _hell_??!"

"Ahhh…Tasuki," came my boyfriend's quiet, pleasant voice, cutting through the verbal battle and quenching my projected retaliation. We turned to see a rather terrified-looking, red-shirted young waiter standing at the head of the table, a basket of breadsticks slung over his arm.

"Umm…breadstick?" he squeaked.

Genrou looked him up and down menacingly. "Took ya long enough, _pal_," he said with his usual good manners, and proceeded to help himself to about _six._

~*~

A great deal of the remaining trip was spent "discussing" the fact that, wherever we seemed to go, "_some of us_" always wound up scaring the poor waiting staff. Interestingly enough, Genrou, who was the main target of the conversation, did not participate in it, as he had, indeed, returned to Hogwarts, and did not look like he'd be leaving until he needed me to give him the second book.

We arrived in Perry, Indiana at about 12:30 in the morning, and as we pulled up to the front entrance of Miaka's dorm, there was—like in the restaurant—a startlingly low amount of movement in the neighborhood. 

__

Thursday night not much of a party down here, huh? 

At Allenby, the weekend practically _started _on Thursday night. There were all sorts of Thursday Parties in all the frats and stuff, and were almost as loud and vibrating as the Friday and Saturday Parties. Then again, all the frats and stuff probably had Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday parties, too. Not that frat boys are all necessarily wild party animals…well, yeah, okay, so they are.

Taka had called Miaka on Saihitei's phone right before we'd arrived, so she was waiting at the door as we parked, her little face watching us from the window. By the time we'd gotten out of the van, she had run down the steps and thrown herself into Taka's arms…and I could've been wrong, but I think she was crying a little. Whatever the case, she sure sounded like it.

"Taka…thank you for coming, thank you so much for… Oh, Taka, I'm…I don't know what's happening, I'm so scared…"

Slightly startled, Taka hugged her close and reassured her in a gentle voice; I wrapped my arms around myself, the gravity of the situation really beginning to settle. Even Gen-chan had put down his newfound love and was leaning against the vehicle, staring at the ground, his jaw jutting out slightly.

Saihitei gave Taka and Miaka a few moments before stepping over himself and putting a hand on Taka's shoulder. "Should we move the discussion to a hotel?" he inquired softly.

Taka nodded, and carefully got Miaka into the back of the van; I followed, and joined them, leaning over and throwing my own arms around Miaka. She would be fine, I knew, now that we were there…but it must have been awful for her to have had to deal with this alone.

__

She always tried this, though. She always used to try to deal with things on her own. At least she had the sense to call us this time.

I rested my chin on her shoulder and sighed. Gen-chan took Taka's place in the front seat, and we were off to the Holiday Inn Express, courtesy of Saihitei's ample inheritance. 

We got two adjoining rooms: one for Doukun, Myojuan, and Genrou, and one for "The Two Couples." 

__

Ack.

Well, anyway…as soon as we'd dragged all of our luggage up to the third floor, we gathered in The Couples' Room to discuss—albeit briefly, as it was nearly one in the morning—the plans for the following day. Taka brought up New York, and asked Miaka if that seemed plausible; he showed her the mirror, and she took it, wide-eyed.

"Liberty," she breathed, moving her eyes up to Taka's. "New York. Do you think…that's right?"

"I do," said Doukun. "I have a feeling…I don't know if it's the same with the rest of you. But I feel something _pulling _me…and this is going to sound awfully insipid, but whenever I think of New York, and that Houjun might have gone there…the pulling gets stronger." He gave us a tentative smile. "Is it the same for the rest of you?"

__

Not for me. I shook my head, and saw the others do the same.

"But that's a good enough affirmation for me," said Myojuan solemnly.

I nodded. "With that and the mirror thing…and the email he sent, about the river…I think it's a pretty good chance to take."

"Indeed," said Saihitei. "I'd say it's the _only _lead we have."

"You okay with the New York thing, Gen-chan?" I said, looking over my shoulder from where I lay on the bed. 

He didn't answer.

"Gen-chan?"

"AHHHHHH!!" he roared, and leaped up from where he'd been sitting. I scrambled to my knees in shock, and everyone else's reaction, from what I could tell, was about the same.

"Tasuki, what?" Saihitei said urgently, setting his hand on my shoulder, I guess to keep me from going over to Gen-chan in case he was in some sort of contagious trouble, or something. Heeee, how sweet. "What is it? What's wrong??"

"It was _QUIRRELL_!!!" Gen-chan shouted, eyes wide, jaw slack, and I realized he was still holding the book I'd naïvely lent him. "It was fuckin Quirrell all the time!!!!!"

Silence. Time…had frozen.

And when it melted again, and began to flow, Gen-chan found exactly six pillows thrown with startling accuracy directly at his head. I took a small amount of pride in the fact that _mine _was the one that succeeded in knocking him backward off of his chair.

****

TBC…

Notes: Ummm…so, Tasuki reads the better part of 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" in seven hours? Heyyyy, it could happen. ^_~ Sorry if this chapter was a disappointment to people who might be wondering exactly what's up with Chichiri…but I'll get to that as soon as I can! ~.~() And if you guys have any comments about editing, etc., since I didn't get the last part of this beta-read…please, feel free to yell at me. ^_^ 

****

Poll: Ooookay, so…I've gotten a lot of comments concerning the rating of this fic, and I was wondering what you guys thought about it. It seems lotsa people think I should change the rating from R to PG-13. Now, uhhh…it's rated R because of language, and I don't think there's really a lot of other R-quality stuff in it. **shrug** But a lot of people don't appreciate this type of language in a PG-13 story. So…I dunno. I'm bad at deciding stuff like this, cuz different people have different ideas about what the rating system should be like. I'd be interested to hear what everyone thinks. ^_^() 

****

ANOTHER STORY AKUGI!!! ( ^^;; )  
(a.k.a. Hori Potter and the Shinzaho of Doom!!)

Narrator: And so, Hori Potter boarded the train to Hokkan, in search of the fabulous and much-needed Shinzaho…

****

Hori: Ahh! Now for some much-needed beauty sleep.

****

Narrator: But alas, a nap was made unlikely by a shout of…

****

Ronsuki: REKKA SHINEN!!!!!! **sudden eruption of ten-foot flames in compartment of train**

****

Hori: **singed**

****

Ronsuki: Heh heh…sorry about that. There was a fly on the window.

****

Hori: **trying to regain his regal bearing** Aghh…no problem. W-won't you come in?

****

Ronsuki: Thanks, pal! **goes to sit down** The name's Ronsuki. And you are?

****

Hori: Hori Potter.

****

Ronsuki: **eyes bug out** Whoah, no way!! You're the emperor of Konan???

****

Hori: **pleased** That's right.

****

Ronsuki: Dude, that _rocks_!! I've heard all sorts of stories about you.

****

Hori: Really? Such as?

****

Ronsuki: Well…mostly that you sit around playing Kirby's Dreamland all day. But still…you're the emperor! That's freakin _awesome_!!  
  
**Hori: **I'm also wildly attractive.

****

Ronsuki: **raises eyebrow** Ehhhhh…sure ya are. So…

****

Nurmione: **entering** S'cuse me. I'm looking for a cat named Tama. Some monk lost him, or something.

****

Ronsuki: Sorry. We haven't seen no damn cat.

****

Nurmione: 'Haven't seen no?' Obviously, grammar is not a priority with _some _people…

****

Ronsuki: Shut the hell up.

****

Nurmione: **taking a seat** I'm Nurmione Granger. I take it you two are looking for the Shinzaho, too?

****

Hori: That's right.

(**JK Rowling: **You know, Mouse-chan, I'll get you for this.

Mouse-chan: Sorry, Ma'am…I plead temporary insanity. ****

Kaze-chan: TEMPORARY!! BAAAHHhahahahahahaaaa!!!)

Nurmione: You know, we should pool our resources! Work together as a team to find the Shinzaho! ****

Nako: **entering** Don't even dream of acquiring the Shinzaho, Potter. You'll never get it before…ME.

****

Hori: **blank stare** Excuse me…I don't believe we've met.

****

Nurmione: **darkly** That's Nako Malfoy. He's the local Tenkou worshipper.

****

Nako: You've done your homework. Unfortunately, it won't do you much good when you bleed to death on the top of a snowy mountain.

****

Nurmione: Ummmmm, whatever, Nako….

****

JK Rowling: All right, all _right_, already! Please, I beg you! Stop the madness! ;;;

****

Mouse-chan: ^_^() Gomen!


	21. Road Trip

****

BIG NOTE: This is a sliiiiightly revised version from the one I posted last night in the throes of fatigue. ^__^ Just so ya know, it gets a little different toward the end. ^_~

****

Disclaimer: No own FY. No own Harry Potter. No own Moulin Rouge. No own…um…the word And. **nod**

****

Warnings: Okayyyy. Some of you might have realized that this fic is now rated PG-13 instead of R. ^^;; Yes. Thanks, everyone, for your great input! Since more people have thought I should lower the rating, I decided to do so, but to make up for it, include an extra warning about language. **Ahem** THIS FIC HAS LOTS OF BAD LANGUAGE, despite the fact that it is only rated PG-13!!!! ^_^

****

Other Warnings: Saaaaaaaaaaaaap. --;; Seishi squabbles. Singing. 

****

Notes: Aahhhhhh, I'm tired. Anyhoo, thanks for everyone who's reading! Hope you like it.

****

Shout-outs: To my wasabi-goblin-sculpting pal, Vansre: you rock!!!! Help to spread the wealth of pop culture that I have begun with the humble Wasabi Goblin. ^_~ **giggle** Otaku Pitcher: Yeah, we need to file a complaint about the laziness of Fazoli's breadstick guys. ^_^ 

****

ANOTHER STORY

Chapter 21:

Road Trip

My eyes flew open violently, and I found myself in darkness. My entire body was shaking, and my forehead felt damp; I clutched the thin bedspread with both hands, lying on my back and panting.

__

Nightmare. Whooooooahhh, holy high-blooming cows, what a nightmare…

I couldn't remember what I had dreamed about, just that it had scared me. A lot. As I tried to calm myself down, I brought my hands up to my mouth to silence my heavy breathing so I wouldn't wake up the others. In retrospect, it probably wasn't incredibly loud, but to my own ears, it sounded like a vacuum cleaner.

__

I don't remember the last time I had a nightmare… That thing with Genrou in 'The Exorcist' doesn't count.

Something wet trickled down into my ear, and I realized I was crying. By the time my eyes had adjusted a bit to the darkness of the hotel room, my heart had stopped pounding as hard, and I let out a trembling breath. Beside me in the queen-sized bed, Saihitei hadn't moved, and I could hear Taka's and Miaka's sleep-breathing from across the way. 

__

Shhh…just be quiet, now… It's over, whatever it was. Don't wake them up. _Just a nightmare_. _Just a stupid nightmare_.

I tried to go back to sleep. I really did. But I couldn't, for some reason; maybe it was the adrenaline rush that came with being scared. Selfishly, I wished that Saihitei would wake up, just so it wouldn't be so quiet, and because I knew he would try to make me feel better. I couldn't disturb him, though; what if I woke him up and he couldn't sleep, either, all because of me?

__

Come on, you're fine. You're okay; and they're here with you, in case you really need them. Don't disturb them.

So I did the next best thing. As slowly as I could, still feeling a slight wetness slide down my face, I rolled over and pressed myself as close to Saihitei as was possible without giving him a wakening jolt. With his chest less than an inch from my nose, I felt a little better, and pulled my fists up to my chin, trying to ease myself into sleep.

I dunno if he sensed it, or _what_, but not two minutes after my roll, he let out a sleepy sigh. I froze, thinking with horror that I'd woken him after all, but he didn't say anything, just brought his arms up to wrap around my back. In his sleep, he hugged me close, drawing me into him and fitting my head underneath his own chin. And I lay there, cradled in warmth, my shaking growing even stiller, my breathing more even…

…And the next thing I knew, it was morning, and someone was whispering and giggling.

__

What the…?

Prying one eye open, I squinted at the brightness of the room, and twisted slightly, bringing one hand up to my forehead; Saihitei stirred at my movement. To my great surprise, I found that Miaka, Taka, Doukun, and Myojuan were all gathered around our bed, watching us. Miaka had been the giggler, there was no doubt in my mind about that. She was wearing an idiotic grin, and the others, too, were smiling.

"What the…" I croaked in my "Just-Woke-Up-Sound-Like-Congested-Frog" Voice.

Miaka jumped up and down. "Nuriko, Hotohori! You two are the _cutest_!!" 

"I'm glad you two have found such happiness," Myojuan declared.

"After both of you were so lonely before…" Doukun sighed.

"You're, like, _the cutest_!" Taka squealed, mimicking Miaka with startling accuracy.

I blinked up at them. "Do you guys have anything _better _to do than sit around and watch us sleep?" A sudden thought struck me, and I narrowed my eyes at Miaka. "Where's your camera?"

She giggled. "Don't worry, Nuri-chan, I don't have it with me. But don't think I wouldn't have used it if I did."

__

Nuri-chan. Heehee…

"_Honestly_, you guys…_we _don't stare at _you _when _you_ sleep," I frowned.

With another laugh, Miaka jumped up onto the bed with us, making the now-loose Boyfriend Arms into a three-way hug. "I know, I know…but I keep forgetting how great it is to see you guys together!"

"Okay, _okay_," I exclaimed, trying to fend her off. 

Saihitei, who had just now opened his eyes, appeared rather stunned to find _two _people in bed with him instead of just one. "Ahh…good morning?" he managed.

"Dibs on the shower," Myojuan announced, and walked calmly back to the adjoining room.

"Dibs on the other shower!" I heard Gen-chan shout from across the room, where I figured he'd been leafing through my bookbag in search of the second Harry Potter book. Spazz.

"Naaaaahhhh, that's not fair!" Taka cried, turning sharply and taking off after Gen-chan. "This is _our _room, and there are _four _of us!"

The bathroom door slammed. "I'll play a fuckin violin for ya, Obake-chan!" came the muffled voice of my best friend from inside.

"_Dammit_!!" Taka pounded on the white paint. "Jerk!"

Miaka and Doukun headed over to commiserate with him, and I turned to Saihitei and rolled my eyes. "I think you're the only sane one here."

He chuckled, and touched my hair with his hand. "How did you sleep?"

"Oh…fine," I lied. "It wasn't unbearably dry in here, like it is in some hotels."

"Miaka certainly seems better this morning."

I nodded. "Yeah. Well, she doesn't have to deal with it alone anymore."

He returned my nod…but suddenly, his eyebrows drew together, and he frowned, fingering my pajama top, which was still a little damp from the bad dream I'd had. My cheeks colored slightly as his eyes met mine. "Are you sick?" he asked worriedly. "Do you feel warm?"

I shook my head quickly as his palm went to my forehead, and forced a smile. "I just had a dream, that's all. Sorry."

His lips pursed, and he raised an eyebrow comically.

"O_kay_," I giggled. "I'm _not _sorry, are ya happy? I'm _glad_. Glad, glad, glad that you have to sleep with someone with a pore problem." Wrinkling my nose, I stuck out my tongue at him.

He leaned forward and touched his nose to mine. "If I don't mind your morning breath, why should I care about something like that?" he said, and before I had time to process any of that, he kissed me.

Miaka let out a whoop from the other bed, and I was vaguely aware of Taka and Doukun…_applauding_. My face grew even redder, and I rolled my eyes again, groaning in exasperation but smiling all the same.

__

It's kinda hard NOT to smile when CERTAIN THINGS are being done to your lips. 

Eheh.

~*~

"Got the cool!"

"Doo-DOO-doo-DOO-doo!"

"Got the cool shoeshine!"

"Doo-DOO-doo-DOO-doo!"

"You got the cool!"

"Doo-DOO-doo-DOO-doo!"

"Got the cool shoeshine!!"

"Doo-DOO-doo…"

"ENOUGH!!!" wailed Doukun, thunking his head back against the headrest of the car seat. Or, van seat, as circumstance would have it. "_PLEASE_, this is the fifth time we've _listened _to that song! And while I normally enjoy it immensely, I'm about five nanoseconds away from hurling myself onto the raging highway!"

We were back on the road once more, having showered without further conflict and stopped briefly at Miaka's dorm to pick up her things. Our former Priestess had taken the empty seat between me and Genrou in the way-back, and we were about twenty miles into our day-long trip to New York City. 

"Yeah, shut the fuckin radio off," Genrou agreed, despite the fact that he'd been singing along with me and Miaka. "Harry and Ron are in this kick-ass fuckin flyin car that…"

"We _have _all read it before," I reminded him.

"Okay, _dude_, ya know what I don't fuckin get?" he demanded. "If all the fuckin bad wizards come from fuckin Slytherin, why do they even _have _the fuckin house? Isn't it kinda _askin _for trouble?!"

I stared at him blankly.

"And _another _thing," he ranted. "The end of the first fuckin book, right? Fuckin Slytherin wins the goddamn House Cup fair and square. But fuckin _Dumbledore_ has to go all fuckin Favoritism Guy and award a shitload of points to Gryffindor at the last minute! Bringing the fuckin Slytherin kids' hopes up, then smashin them to the fuckin floor! And they _wonder _why all these snake kids have such fuckin issues??!"

"Oooookayyyy, I think _someone's _getting a _leeeeeettle _too into the story…" I sang.

"It's like they're fuckin _breeding _antagonism between the two fuckin houses!"

"You might wanna take your time on that second one," I told him. "I didn't bring the third one with me."

"Well, what the hell am I supposed to _do _for the rest of the goddamn trip??!!"

"Hey! Don't make it out to be _my _fault!" I said. "You didn't even _want _to read Harry Potter at first."

"I have _Jane Eyre_," Miaka offered cheerfully, pulling said book out of her bag. "I have to read it for English, but you can borrow it if you need something to read, Tasuki-chan."

Sulking, Genrou dog-eared his place in _Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets_ and set it in his own backpack. "Not fuckin likely," he grumbled. "I'll just fuckin watch the goddamn _cows _pass by."

~*~

Nine thirty a.m.: about an hour later: 

"Okay, countries down the alphabet."

"Argentina."

"Botswana."

"China."

….

"Sai! Your turn!"

"Oh, ahhh…sorry. Uhhh…Denmark?"

"England."

"Fffffff….France!"

"Georgia."

…..

"Doukun, what the _fuck_?! Ya can't say fuckin _Georgia, _it's not a _country_! It's a goddamn _state_."

"That's where you're wrong," said Doukun brightly, without looking up from whatever work he was doing. "It's a state, obviously; but it's also a country. In the former Soviet Union, right by the Black Sea."

I nodded. "Yeah, he's right."

"Well, that's fuckin _dumb as hell_!!! Why the hell wouldja name a Russian country after a fuckin _state_? That's pretty damn cheap!"

"I don't think the state was what they had in mind," Miaka piped up, trying to be helpful.

"Erm…Ryuuen," said Saihitei quickly, "it's your turn." 

"Holland!" I chirped happily.

Everyone groaned.

~*~

Ten thirty a.m. … 

"I'm _tellin _ya," said Taka, "we want to take Highway _294_!"

Myojuan sighed. "I'm afraid you're wrong. Highway 70 is much more…"

"No, no…_look_," Taka continued stubbornly, taking the road map and pointing at it. "See? It's _so _much easier just to…"

"Don't argue with the driver," Myojuan growled.

Miaka and I just sat there, listening to the exchange, not _particularly _keen on getting involved. Gen-chan had gone back to his—or, _my_—book, and Saihitei and Doukun were both reading, too…

"They're getting a little tense," Miaka whispered to me, frowning.

I nodded. "Yeah…"

"I wish there was something we could do to get them to stop without having to take a side."

"Yeah."

She looked at me.

I looked at her.

And she smiled almost evilly, raising her eyebrows. I winked, took off my seat belt, knelt on the seat, and sang, relatively softly…"Cuz here I go agaaaaAAAAIN!!"

I flung my arms out dramatically. "LOVE LIFTS US UP WHERE WE BELONG!!!"

Genrou, Saihitei, and Doukun jumped, nearly dropping their respective books, and Taka's surprised face jerked to stare at us from the front.

"WHERE EEEEAGLES FLY O'ER THE MOUNTAIN HIGH!!!" I continued.

"LOVE MAKES US ACT LIKE WE ARE FOOLS!" Miaka joined in, removing her own seat belt. "THROW OUR LIVES AWAY FOR ONE HAPPY DAY!!!!"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!" Genrou shouted furiously.

I turned my outstretched arms to him. "WE COULD BE HEROES!!!!! Just for one day…"

"_Put your seat belts back on_!" Myojuan roared, and Gen-chan chucked Harry Potter at my head. I managed to catch it as Miaka and I collapsed in giggles, happy to see that Doukun and Saihitei were laughing, too, and even Taka was shaking his head and smiling.

__

Mission Accomplished.

"Thanks, Gen-chan," I said after the mirth had subsided a bit, nodding at him and moving to return my book to its rightful place in my satchel.

He gaped. "EYYYY!!! C'mon, gimme back the fuckin book!"

"What? Oh, _this_?" I said, blinking innocently. "Well, you gave it to me. That must mean you don't want it anymore, huh?"

Cursing, he reached over, straining to snatch it from me, but I held it out of his grasp. "Ahhh, ahhh, Gen-chaaaan… What's the magic woooooord?"

"Fuckin _go to hell_, Ryuuen!!!"

"Hm." I raised an eyebrow. "Interesting attempt…_However_, that's not _exactly _what I'm looking for…"

"_GODDAMMIT!!_"

"Nope, nope…still not quite right," I said pensively, holding my chin with my thumb and forefinger. "Wanna try best out of five? Or…"

"_Give me the fuckin book_, ya fuckin _fag_!" he roared, and my fingers turned to ice, and the world froze around me.

There was only silence.

__

What did he…what did he… Nooo, c'mon, it's only Gen-chan, he didn't mean it. You know he didn't mean it, it's just the way he is. It's just the way he…

But it hurt. It really, really hurt, hearing him call me that. I lowered the arm with the book slowly, stunned and staring and wanting to cry; I wasn't even angry, just…_sad_. 

__

It's just a name. 

It's just a name.

You're being stupid. He's called you all sorts of names before, why are you making such a big emotional deal about this one? He's called you gay before, and you knew he was kidding.

But before…he never sounded this angry.

I knew it was mostly my fault that he'd gotten so angry in the first place, since I was being so obnoxious about the whole book thing, and knowing that I'd made him that mad tore at me even more. 

Gradually, I realized that I wasn't the only one who was frozen. Everyone else seemed to be, too (except for Myojuan, which was a good thing, since he was driving). They'd all heard what Genrou had said—he hadn't exactly been _whispering_—and were looking on with varying degrees of horror. Genrou himself had adopted a shocked expression, his eyes wide, his mouth slightly agape.

__

They're looking at ME. They're waiting for me to do something.

So… So DO something, idiot! DO something!

I twisted my mouth into a pathetic attempt at a smile, and gave an equally pathetic little laugh that came out more like a choke, looking quickly down at my hands. _Way to be convincing, Mr. Olivier. _Pressing my lips together, I tried to make my tears dry up without falling and embarrassing me again, but it didn't really work. _So that's great. He calls you a fag, and what do you do to try to dissuade the label? Ya CRY. Ya baby._

Immediately after I moved, it was as if I'd pressed some sort of hidden button that reanimated all my friends; Miaka was the first one to react, voicing her opinions on the matter by giving Genrou a hefty slap across the face.

"You have _no right _to say that!" she yelled. "Even if you're teasing, you have _no right_!!"

"I…Ryuuen…" My best friend's voice was small and strangled.

Fixing a smile on my face, I made myself look up at him. He'd gone a little white, his hand covering his cheek where Miaka had struck; his eyes were damp and shining. "It…it's okay, Gen-chan," I told him unconvincingly. "I know…I know you didn't mean it…" _Yeah, sure, that'll work. Niagara Falls shooting from my eyes, but hell, I'm peachy. Damn me and my crying gene. Damn damn damn damn damn._ "I'm just…ummmm…" _Voice quivers. Great, THAT'LL make him feel better. _"I'm just…I'm tired…" 

"Ryuu-chan…" Miaka.

I wiped my eyes with my hands and sniffed, grinning back at her. "See? All better, no worries."

Genrou undid his seat belt. "Miaka…" he whispered, and she got the point and undid her own, switching places with him. Once he had taken her seat in the middle, he had a hard time raising his eyes to meet mine, and when he finally did, they were tortured and anxious. "Ryuuen," he said gently. "Ryuu-chan…I…I'm sorry…"

"I know," I quavered brightly. "I'm sorry, I know I'm being stupid about…"

"_Shit_, man, wouldja _stop it_?" he exclaimed, and I blinked at the sudden vehemence in his voice. "It was a fuckin _awful _thing ta say, and don't you fuckin just sit there and _take _it!!"

"Tasuki, _stop_!!" said Miaka from the other side. "Don't yell at him!"

He pretty much ignored her. "Ya let people fuckin walk _all over _ya!" he continued. "And if some asshole like me attacks ya and plays with yer fuckin mind, you say it's _your _goddamn fault??! That's _bullshit_!!" He poked me roughly in the chest.

"Tasuki," said Saihitei dangerously from his seat, probably ready to jump to my rescue like some kind of Crusader for the Cause of Ryuuen. But I didn't let him. I couldn't let him save me _all _the time.

My chest puffed up, and I stuck my jaw out, trying to look menacing despite the tears in my eyes. "What, so you want me to hit you, or something? Well, I _won't_!! I _don't _let people walk all over me!! I know you didn't mean it, that's all! I know you didn't…" I had to swallow; my voice had gotten irritatingly rough and dry. 

"So I _didn't _fuckin mean it," he shot back. "So I fucked up! That doesn't change the fact that I fuckin _said _it!"

"It's not a big deal," I whispered. _It wouldn't have been a big deal if you hadn't started crying, moron._

"God_dammit_!!" he growled, and grabbed me by the shoulders of my sweatshirt. "I'm yer fuckin _friend_!! I'm the _last _fuckin person who should be giving you that crap!!" He stared at me hard for a moment, watching me fight against my stupid instincts to just cry and have it done with, before saying "_Fuck_…" and giving me a full hug.

I returned it—gently, so that I wouldn't crush him into pulp, which is a lovely image to have in one's mind—and sighed. And I stopped my tears, finally. _It's no use to cry. It still hurts a bit, yes; but he feels terrible, just look at him. _(This last instruction was unable to be followed, however, due to the fact that my head was pressed rather firmly to Genrou's shoulder, and any prospect of mobility was therefore unlikely.) 

"If anyone ever fuckin says that to you again," Gen-chan vowed softly, "including me, I'll kick their ass."

Putting a damper on the now lessened ache in my heart, I smiled slightly. "You'll kick your own ass?"

"Shut up," he said fondly.

"Um…Gen-chan, I'm sorry I hit you," said Miaka sheepishly when we'd both pulled back.

"Hell, _someone _had to do it, and it sure as hell wasn't gonna be Mister Grudgeless, here. I fuckin deserved it," he replied, running a hand through his hair. "Shit."

Eventually, things grew less and less tense, and I relaxed back in my seat with my arm twined around Gen-chan's. As the conversation gradually shifted to a new, less uncomfortable topic, I chanced a glance up and saw that Saihitei was staring at me, his eyes full of concern.

With a genuine smile, I gave him a mini thumbs-up, and he seemed to relax. For crying out loud, I didn't want anyone to _worry _about me! Least of all Saihitei, who had done enough worrying so as to be exempt from it for the rest of his _life_.

__

Well, I thought, _at least one good thing came of this: Taka and Myojuan aren't arguing over the map anymore._

And, as the latest conversation died down to a lull, I began humming almost unconsciously; one thing led to another, and fairly soon afterward…

~*~

Eleven o'clock a.m.: 

"You got the cool!"

"Doo DOO doo DOO doo!"

"Got the cool shoeshine!"

"Doo DOO doo DOO doo!"

"GYAAAAAHHHH!!!!" groaned Doukun. "How long before we get to New York???!!!!"

****

TBC…

Note: Um, okay, it's about time I said this: in this fic, I'm sure people have noticed that everyone tends to flit almost subconsciously from Real Name to Seishi Name, so much so that Ryuuen can refer to Hotohori as Saihitei in one sentence, then as Hotohori in the very next one. Just wanted to point out that these aren't typos. ^^;; I was actually trying to go for the whole subconscious memory thing, but I dunno if that came across, or if people were going, "Damn, that girl must be tired…she's messing up all the names!" ^_~

****

Notes: If the ending of this chapter is really dumb, feel free to email me with comments and criticism. **falling asleep at computer** Anyhoooo….Jaaa, everyone… ^_^

PS. Oh, and if you think the whole name-calling thing was overly dramatic, my sincerest apologies ~.~()

PPS. And the song 19-2000 is by the Gorillaz, and it is cool. **nod** Later! Have fun!

ANOTHER STORY AKUGI!!!! Genrou: If anyone ever says that to you again, including me, I'll kick their ass. Ryuuen: You'll kick your own ass? Genrou: Shut up. Ryuuen: No, seriously; I wanna see you kick your own ass! Ryuen: Dude! Me, too! Miaka: Yeah! C'mon, Tasuki, let's see!! Genrou: What, are ya fuckin nuts???!! Ryuuen: Ahahahaha!! You can't really do it, _can _you??!! Genrou: **bristles** I can, SO!!! ****

Ryuuen: Let's see it, then! :P

****

Genrou: FINE!!! ** attempts to kick his own ass, winds out knocking himself out with a spoon.**

…Don't ask about the spoon. --;; Stupid possessed fingers.

****

Random Quote of the Day: Look! It's a Crazy 8!!! ----- **8 **"WWAAAAAHAAAAAOOOOAAAHHH!!! I AM A FLOUNDER!!!!!!"

**goes to get psychiatric help**


	22. The Arrival

****

Disclaimer: I don't even have a life. Think I have all this stuff? --;; 19-2000 is a cool song by the Gorillaz that gets stuck in everyone's head. ^_^ Yes.

****

Warnings: Lotsa bad language. **nod** Ummmm…silly banter. Tickling. Maybe sap. Shounen ai. **shrug** Slight Pennsylvania bashing. :P

****

Notes: I'm tired. And I'm watching America's Funniest People. Insomnia is fun. Anyhoo, thanks for reading this over, Cereal-chan! ^_^ Thanks for reading, everyone, and I hope you guys like this. ^_^()

****

ANOTHER STORY

Chapter 22:

The Arrival

"Ryuu-chan," Genrou whispered.

I squeezed my eyes shut tighter. It was dark—we'd been driving all day long—and everyone but Myojuan and Saihitei was asleep. Well…and Genrou, it seemed. And now…_me_. "Mmmph," I said, burying my face in my pillow.

A hand settled on my shoulder, shaking me slightly. "Ryuu-chan!"

__

Sigh. "Whhhzzzz?" 

A slight pause. "I…I'm really fuckin sorry, about the whole insult thing…"

__

Gods. Just…leave it…alone!!!

"It's just…some of my friends—Kouji, even—they say it _all _the fuckin time, and it just fuckin popped out. I really didn't mean to make ya cry."

Turning my head, I let out a breath. "Gen-chan," I said quietly, "it's _okay_. It's over. I'm not mad."

"I just don't fuckin _think _of ya that way, ya know?" he continued, musing. "I don't think of ya like yer gay. Yer too cool fer fuckin labels like that; yer just _you_. So it just didn't fuckin register in my pea-sized brain that it'd hurt ya so bad."

I smiled at his words, and craned my neck to look at him. "Thanks, Gen-chan. I appreciate you saying that."

"You can still hit me if ya wanna."

I giggled. "Naw, that's okay."

"Crack me a fuckin good one, huh? Right in the kisser. C'mon." He actually looked like he was bracing himself.

__

Moron. "Look," I said, speaking slowly. "I don't want to hit you, okay? It wasn't our finest hour, but it's _overrrr_. You don't have to keep acting like you accidentally murdered my brother, or something."

He snorted. "I don't think murderin fuckin Rokou could ever be fuckin _accidental_."

"Heyyy," I warned. "He's my _brother_. Watch it."

"Oh, by the way," he said, leaning in closer. "I got a fuckin bone ta pick with you."

"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow.

He nodded. "Hell yeah. It's about the way you and Doukun keep singin fuckin 19-2000."

Mildly confused—but happy that the subject of the Infamous Insult had been dropped—I pushed myself into a sitting position and folded my arms. "What?"

"You two fuckin munchkins keep singing '_Got _the cool shoeshine,'" he said wisely. "It's '_Get _the cool shoeshine.' '_Get_ the cool fuckin shoeshine.'" So fuckin start singin it right, will ya?"

I blinked. "Wha? It's _totally _not!"

"Bet yer fuckin ass it is," he affirmed, tipping his nose into the air. 

"It's _not_! It's '_got_'!! The kid's saying '_got_'!!"

"Buddy, I'll show ya a fuckin lyrics page sometime."

"Hmph!" I said. "Well, if you're gonna be a lyrics snob, you should be aware that it's '_vapor_ trail,' not '_paper _trail.'"

"Ehhh?!"

" 'There's a monkey in the jungle, watching a vapor trail…'" I sang. 

"_PAPER _trail!"

"Ah. You must've skipped that part of the lyrics page." I stuck out my tongue.

"I didn't _need _to fuckin read it, cuz I _know _the goddamn words!"

"Hello? Will ya _think _about it? 'Watching a paper trail'? What the hell is _that _supposed to mean? It makes no _sense_!"

"It doesn't _have _to make fuckin sense," he growled. "It's…a fuckin…_song_."

"Since when do songs not have to make sense?"

"Since the fuckin Beatles wrote 'I Am The Walrus."

I giggled. "Ah. Well, you do have a point."

He smiled smugly.

"But it's '_vapor_.'"

"Gahhhhh, it's _not_!!"

"Shhhhhh_hhhhhhhHHHH!!_" I hissed. "You're gonna wake everyone up!!" Glancing at the front of the van, where Saihitei had taken Taka's place shotgun, I saw my boyfriend lean over and look behind him. I grinned idiotically and waved. It was dark enough so that he probably couldn't see the grin, but he waved back, and I fell back against the seat with a happy sigh.

"Shit," muttered Genrou.

I swiveled my head in his direction. "Mmmm?" _Warm and cozy thoughts. Warm and cozy thoughts. Sai sai sai sai sai sai sai sai sai… _

"You guys're just so fuckin _meant _fer each other," he continued quietly, shaking his head. "It's fuckin _disgusting_. Gahhhh, the whole Destiny thing, not the fuckin guy thing. But…I think that's great, man. I mean, I'm really happy you two are so great for each other. _Fuck_." Genrou tilted his own head back, resting it on the back of the seat. "Goddammit, when the hell did I get to be such a fuckin _sap_?? It's _your _fuckin fault, ya know, you and Sai and your cutesy fuckin romance."

I beamed, warmed from inside. "You were always a sap, Gen-chan. You just hide it well."

He grunted, but strangely enough, didn't try to murder me for what I'd said.

~*~

It struck me as slightly amazing that Myojuan could stay up all night, and not fall asleep at the wheel and kill us all. But he did. Maybe he didn't trust anyone else to drive his friend's van. I heard Saihitei ask if he wanted to switch about five times, but Myojuan always refused kindly, and took another swig of the giant Thermos O' Coffee he'd purchased at the last gas station we'd stopped at.

Well, anyway. The horrendously long trip was finally coming to an end. It might be interesting to know that Ohio and Pennsylvania are two of the longest states _in the civilized world_, and that driving across them is as tedious as hell. "What state are we in now?" we'd ask, and the reply would be, "Pennsylvania." Three hours later: "What state are we in _now_?" "Pennsylvania." Five million _years_ later, _still _in Pennsylvania. It was as if we'd been caught in a time loop, or were driving around in circles, or something. So, as soon as we saw signs that said "New Jersey," probably around eleven o'clock at night, Gen-chan and I let out whoops of happiness that woke everyone else up with a jolt. We had a little mini-party, and broke out the Rice Krispie Treats Taka had purchased at the same place Myojuan had gotten his coffee. 

"_Fuck_!! I never wanna see fuckin Pennsylvania _again_!" Gen-chan groaned.

"Yes," said Doukun. "Too bad we have to drive back the same way we came."

There was a slight pause, and Gen-chan whimpered and dropped his head back again. "Whyyyyy, God??"

All conversation ceased as we approached the city, the lights shining like grounded stars in the darkness. None of us had ever been to New York City before, and it was truly an awe-inspiring sight. We drove through the Lincoln Tunnel and emerged into the city itself, flashing lights, neon signs, billboards…It wasn't _that _much different from Chicago, but…dude, it was _New York City_!!

And…it was really _big_.

I couldn't help but feel a tiny twinge of despair clench in my chest. _There are so many people. It's…it's so big. How are we ever gonna find Houjun here? It's the whole needle in a haystack cliché! If he doesn't want to be found, he WON'T be! Of all the places to go…_

No. I shook my head slightly. _Don't get into that habit. Don't get all pessimistic; it won't help anything, and it's useless. If you start looking on the dark side of things, it'll be hard to stop._

We're Suzaku no Shichiseishi. We have…a bond. We're bonded together; our souls are connected. 

We can find him.

We WILL.

I raised my chin and smiled, closed-mouthed, at the buildings as they passed. 

__

We'll show you, City. We'll find him, no matter HOW big you are.

~*~

Unbeknownst to me, Saihitei had called to reserve rooms for us at a hotel, so that's where we headed. We had two rooms again, and kept the separation as The Couples Room and The Other Room. They weren't adjoining this time, but they were across the hall from each other, which was good enough for us. 

Miaka and I said goodnight to Myojuan, Doukun, and Genrou, fairly dragging ourselves into the room. When Taka and Saihitei came back with the luggage—there was some vague, foggy voice at the back of my mind that was telling me that carrying stuff should probably be _my _job, considering my powers, but it didn't quite register—Taka laughed at our expressions.

"You two look like the Living Dead!" he chuckled. "You _can't _be that tired! Didn't you sleep in the van?"

We turned to face him, and, as if reading each other's minds, advanced on him slowly, keeping our expressions neutral. Eyes widening, he took a step back. 

"Gahhh, okay okay okay, stop! You're freaking me out!"

But we kept going, backing him up against the wall and trying not to blink…and when we couldn't move any farther, and we couldn't keep our faces straight any longer, we pounced on him and started tickling, giggling insanely. He screamed like a girl and tried to fend us away, but to no avail! Our combined strength was too much for him, especially since I was using my seishi powers for the forces of evil. Wahahaha!

Somehow, he managed to gain the advantage and started tickling _me_, and I had a bit of trouble working up the strength to retaliate because I was laughing so hard. When I cried for Miaka to help me, she jumped on Taka's back and covered his eyes with her hands, giving me the chance to scramble away. Saihitei came in a few moments later to find Taka wandering around the room blindly, trying to find me again, his little girlfriend hanging from his back and covering his eyes, and me trying to ward him off by going at him lightly with a pillow, giggling.

"Help!" I squeaked as he shut the door behind him, darting around and using him as a shield. Apparently, Taka had not heard Saihitei enter, and, following my voice, ran right into my boyfriend with outstretched arms and started tickling. As I fell to my knees and proceeded to die laughing, Saihitei took a giant, startled leap back, dropping luggage on either side. Miaka, meanwhile, had lost all power in her muscles when Taka had started tickling Saihitei, and had slid to the floor, mirroring my own side-splitting laughter.

His eyes now uncovered, Taka blinked at his victim, and froze on the spot, paling a bit.

"H..h…Heika!" he stammered.

Saihitei smiled wryly, straightening his shirt. "Please, don't call me that."

"Eheh…" Taka put an embarrassed hand to his head. "Sorry…I, ahh…I couldn't see."

"It's all right," my boyfriend said with a nod, his smile deepening. "But we should get to bed now, if we're going to really start looking for Houjun tomorrow." He looked pointedly over at me and Miaka, who had convened at the foot of the bed, still giggling madly.

Taka stepped over and crossed his arms. "Should we drug 'em?"

"Not a bad idea."

"Ahahahaha! Sorry!" I laughed, wiping a tear from my eye and pushing myself weakly to my feet. Miaka clung to my arm, almost bringing me down with her again, but I managed to haul her up pretty easily, and we made our way to the bathroom to brush our teeth.

Minutes later, I was crawling into bed with Saihitei, dressed in my blue plaid flannel pajamas and my Fishie Socks. When Taka and Miaka were settled, as well, we bid each other good night, and Taka reached over to flip off the bedside lamps. 

"Night, Sai," I whispered with a sigh—ack, no pun intended—as I snuggled into his arms. It was nice to have a boyfriend, heehee, in case I haven't mentioned that enough recently.

"Goodnight, sweetheart," he replied softly, giving me a customary goodnight kiss that sent customary shivers up my spine. I steeled myself against the urge to "Ehehehehe" and relaxed against him, not having long to wait before I faded into sleep.

~*~

  
I stared at the ceiling again, heart beating like a rabbit's, breath coming harshly, hair hanging in damp clumps on my forehead.

__

It happened again. That nightmare. 

…Was it the same one? The same one as last night?…

But I hadn't been able to remember the last one, and I couldn't remember this one, either. So I had no way of telling if it had been the same. And it scared me. Whatever I'd dreamed about had obviously scared me, too, given the fact that I'd waken up in such a nervous state. But what scared me even more was not being able to remember it.

"Ryuuen?" came a sudden, hushed voice beside me. It was Saihitei; we'd rolled apart in our sleep, it seemed, and had wound up on our backs.

__

Calm down. Breathe.

"Ryuuen…are you all right?" He turned onto his side, propping himself up a little on his elbow.

__

You're fine. You're fine.

"Y-yeah," I managed. "I'm just…thinking, I guess."

"About what?"

I took a deep breath, focusing on the ceiling, and decided to skip the whole nightmare thing and begin with something else, something I hadn't spent much time thinking about, because the subject made me feel sick. "Saihitei…"

"Mmm?"

"Well…" I swallowed, fisting my hands in the covers and pulling them even more tightly around myself. "What if…what if Houjun's dead already? What if he came here to kill himself, like his friend died at the river? What if we look and look for him, but he's already _dead_?"

Despite the gross sweat factor, he smoothed back my hair with a gentle hand. "Shh. He's not dead."

"How do you know, though?" It was funny, but as soon as I'd voiced that tiny, repressed thought, I really started worrying about it. I mean, obviously, Houjun hadn't exactly been thinking straight when he'd left. According to Saihitei and Taka—and Miaka—Chichiri had lost his best friend in a flood, let go of his hand when he thought he could have saved him. What if the guilt of the past had gotten so great for Houjun that he'd felt the need to end his own life in repentance?

But why the heck would he go all the way to New York to kill himself, for crying out loud? _Why_? What was so important about this place?

"Well," Saihitei sighed, putting his arms around me once more and pulling me to his chest. I was still shivering from my forgotten nightmare, but hoped it wasn't that noticeable. "When a seishi dies, the other seishi who serve the same god can feel it. It's like…a kind of hole being torn in your heart. Like a part of you is being ripped away. You… You wouldn't remember the feeling, I don't think, since you…were the first to die, and didn't have the opportunity to sense it from others. But you haven't felt anything like that, have you?"

"I don't think so."

"Neither have I. And believe me…when you feel it, you'll know. You'll know."

I hoped I'd never feel it. It sounded awful, and I didn't like the thought of losing anyone close to me; even only moderately close, like Houjun.

~*~

My soul had been so empty, and for so long, before I met my star brothers. And once I had them…my heart was whole again. __

If any of them die, if any of them are taken away from me…I wouldn't be able to bear it.

That's why it's better me than them. That's why I can't let them die before I do.

Because I can deal with pain. I can deal with death.

But I couldn't bear it if part of my soul was torn away from me again.

****

TBC…

Notes: Oookay, uhhh…interesting little foray into flashback. --;; And, aaaaarghhh, my continuing apologies to all the Chichiri People, but he's coming up soon! I promise! ^^;;;; Hmm, this fic is actually almost done. O.o;;; Honto ni! Only three or four more chapters to go. ^^;; Whoah. Aaaand, once again, I didn't have time for a serious editing job on this, soooo… ^^;;; forgive me! If you see problems or OOC-ness, tell me tell me! I will fix it! **solemn vow**

****

For The Record: I really am not sure about the true lyrics to 19-2000. ^_^() I could _swear _that it's "Got the cool shoeshine!" But Ryu-chan says she went to a site that said it was "_Get_!" And Arashi thinks so, too! Hmm. Maybe it's just my baka mid-west ears. ^_~ All I know for sure is, it _is _"vapor," and not "paper." ^__^ (thanks, Ryu-chan.)

****

ANOTHER STORY AKUGI!!

Ryuuen: **narrating** Apparently, Taka had not heard Saihitei enter, and, following my voice, ran right into my boyfriend with outstretched arms and started tickling.

****

Taka: Tickletickletickle!!!!

****

Saihitei: TEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEEE!!!!! **laughs like Mickey Mouse**

****

Ryuuen: O.O;;

****

Miaka: Umm…

****

Ryuuen: Uhhh….yeah. **leaves the room**

****

Miaka: Where're ya going??!!

****

Ryuuen: I'm going across the hall to see if Gen-chan will be my boyfriend.

****

Saihitei: **falsetto** But Ryuuuueeeeeeennnn!!!! It's our destiny to be together!

****

Ryuuen: **flees in terror** NNNOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

__


	23. Loitering

****

Disclaimer: I oday otnay wnoay Ushigifay Uugiyay. **odnay**

****

Warnings: Lotsa bad language that goes beyond the rating. Shounen ai. Cold weather. Boats. Cider. 

****

Notes: Thanks to everyone who's reading and everyone who's reviewed! ^__^ **hugs** Ne, Lanen, I know Chicago and New York are pretty different, I've been to both, too. ^_^ It's just the whole Big City Thing. ^_~ Anyhoo, I hope this chapter's okay. **shrug** Sorry if it's boring. ^^;;; Have fun anyway!

****

ANOTHER STORY

Chapter 23:

Loitering

I huddled into my coat and put my hand to my nose to warm it, frowning at the fact that the stupid thing had a propensity toward freezing. Less than thirty seconds later, I had to remove my hand because oxygen was getting scarce; and then, right back to freezing again, and the cycle was repeated. 

Myojuan and Genrou, who were sitting with me in the back of the taxi, were regarding me in bland fascination.

"Everything…all right?" Myojuan inquired.

"I hate my nose," I grumbled behind my glove.

"We don't get a lot of visitors this week, really," the cab driver was relating to Saihitei up front. He was a cheerful guy; he sounded East Indian. "Not a lot of tourists, anyway."

"We're not exactly tourists," Saihitei explained. "We're here visiting a friend."

The seven of us had split up into two groups, and Saihitei, Myojuan, Genrou and I were headed to Battery Park so we could ferry over to the Statue of Liberty. (We'd collectively decided that, while "Jiyuu" might just have been a hint as to where to go, it could very well have meant a more specific place, and the statue seemed as good a place as any to begin.) The other three had gone to the Hudson, the "river;" Myojuan had given Doukun his cell phone so we could call each other if anything happened. We didn't have a game plan, really. We didn't really know what to expect. But those were the only two clues we had.

Was it silly, to leave the rest to our seishi connection? I didn't know _what _to think about that; I'd never really been all that much of a supernatural guy before. Doukun had seemed fairly confident that he'd be able to sense if Houjun were close, so I hoped he was right. It just seemed like such a gamble. Even if he _had _been by the river, or at the Statue of Liberty, what were the odds that we'd be there at the same time?

I felt so powerless, like I didn't have control over my own life.

__

Which I probably DON'T, I reminded myself. _My friends, my family, everyone I know, I know because the fates shoved us together. Human agency had little to do with it. That's kinda scary. But it also means that…maybe…someone's watching out for us, right? Someone's looking at this situation with Houjun and being nice and giving us clues, with the mirror and all. Just gotta have faith, that's all._

For a guy who had never been particularly religious, this was a weird step to take. But then, it's hard _not _to have faith when you wake up to discover you can lift giant boulders with your bare hands.

When we arrived at the ferry stop and stepped out into the chill sea air, there were only about four other people in the line to visit the Statue of Liberty. I guess if the cold didn't bother you, November was the time to visit New York. Saihitei paid the nice cab driver, and we all made our way over to the little ticket building. Apparently, the same boat that took passengers to the statue also stopped at Ellis Island; under normal circumstances, I would've leapt at the opportunity to explore a little family history, but as it was, I barely thought of it.

We had reached the end of the short line before I realized that one of us was missing. I looked to my right: Saihitei. I looked to my left: Myojuan. We spent the next few moments blinking around at each other before turning to see Genrou slinking in the background.

"Tasuki?" said Saihitei.

"What?" he snapped defensively.

I wrapped my trembling arms around my chest, teeth chattering. "Are you _coming_?"

He mirrored my position stubbornly. "Ya didn't tell me we had to take a fuckin _boat_."

"What's wrong with taking a boat?"

No reply. He just _glowered_.

"Ryuuen…can Tasuki, er, Genrou…can he swim?" Saihitei said lowly in my ear.

I raised my eyebrows. "Ehh?"

"He, ahh…he couldn't, in the past," my boyfriend explained. "He didn't enjoy water. Or boats, at that."

Gazing back over at Genrou, I put my hands on my hips. "What the heck's the matter? You can _swim_, ya big dummy! We took Kiddie Swim together at the YMCA when we were six, _remember_? And we've been in more boats than I can count!"

He tightened his mouth, half-pouting. "Jus don't feel like fuckin gettin on a goddamn fuckin boat, 'sall."

One of the other people in the line looked over and gave him a dirty look, looping an arm around her child's shoulder. Seeing this, Myojuan frowned and put a finger to his lips. I began to wonder if those V-chips from South Park actually _did _exist, and if so, how much they cost.

"Genrou. We should have everyone there, in case one of us senses something," said Saihitei calmly. "I don't want to take the chance that you might be the one to feel a connection, but you stay behind."

"Yeah, c'mon, Gen-chan," I added. "It's just a memory thing. But _you're _not afraid of water. You used to be on the swim team, even."

"Please," added Saihitei. 

Genrou looked like he'd just eaten a plateful of lemon-flavored glass, but he shuffled over to us sullenly and sulked like a five-year-old. He was good at that.

We paid for our tickets and climbed on the ferry. Myojuan and Saihitei wanted to go look out at the water, which nicely illustrates the fact that just because people _look _normal and perfectly sane, it doesn't mean they _are_. Gen-chan and I stayed in the little middle cabin thingie with the snack bar, preferring _not _to pursue the experiment in cryogenics, thankyouverymuch.

"Ya hungry?" Genrou grunted after a few seconds.

"Not really, but I could use some hot chocolate," I decided, seeing that the woman who had recently been appalled at Genrou's language had just purchased some for her son. "Or…mmm, hot cider!" Fumbling in my coat pocket for my wallet, I counted my money to see if I had enough to make a beverage purchase.

"I got it," he said, and stood up. 

__

Ehhhh???

Right, so…Genrou wasn't exactly what one would call _sparing _with his money. He wasn't as bad as Taka, not by half. But he didn't have a lot, just like any college kid, and he was really careful with it. The only times he'd ever offer to pay for someone was if he was apolo…

__

Ahhhhh. Gotcha.

Rolling my eyes, I followed him to the snack bar, catching his sleeve loosely. "Hey, Gen-chan, don't worry; I have enough money. I can cover myself."

"Nah, nah, 'sokay," he said, waving me away. "I got it."

__

Idiot. "Look, _forget _about it. You don't have to be weirdly nice to me just because of what happened in the van."

"Dude, it's got nothin to do with the fuckin _van_," he insisted stubbornly. "Can't a guy be fuckin nice to his friends without havin a fuckin ulterior motive?!" Shaking free, he continued over to the little shop.

With a sigh, I followed, stuck out my leg, ingeniously managed to swipe it in front of him, and tripped him so that he landed with a surprised exclamation on the worn wooden floor.

"The _fuck_!!"

Now first in line at the snack counter, I beamed brightly at the bored-looking cashier, a middle-aged woman with a nose like a radish. "Hi! Can I have a cider, please?"

Without replying, she mixed my drink, took my money, and shelled out the change. She was of the robotic clerk variety, the kind that never talks and always has some kind of chip on his or her shoulder. Since I always made a point to be as cheerful as possible to these unfortunate, moody individuals, I bade her a merry, "Thanks! Have a nice day!" and turned to walk back to our bench.

Genrou had picked himself up, and was now scowling. "Last time I try to be a fuckin nice guy!"

"Mommy? What's Fucken mean?" came the voice of the little boy.

I choked on my cider and covered my hand with my mouth, looking up. The kid's poor mother was glaring at us like a demon out of hell, and I knew it would be _unspeakably _rude to start laughing my head off, but it was very, very difficult not to.

~*~

To make a loooooong story short, we hung out at the freaking Statue of Liberty almost _all day_ with _no _hint at all as to Houjun's whereabouts. As we'd neared the little island, I was actually stupid enough to believe that he'd be right there when we got off the boat, waiting for us.

"Hi, Houjun!" we'd say. "What's up? Are you psycho anymore?"

"No, but thanks for asking," he'd reply. "Sorry about putting you guys through hell, and all."

"Not a problem!" we'd say, and we'd all walk off together arm and arm and go out for pie, or something.

But he wasn't there. 

__

Well, I told myself, _maybe he's on the other side of the island! Or maybe he's in the statue itself!_

But he wasn't there, _either_. And by the time we'd walked around the island five times and gone up the statue twice, my entire upper half had become an elaborate, multicolored ice sculpture.

"Mitsukake," I heard Saihitei say to Myojuan during one of our "tours." "We can't stay out here much longer; Ryuuen's going to get sick…we're _all _going to get sick."

__

Nice save, Sai, my sarcastic side applauded. But I couldn't help smiling broadly at his concern. I think the guy loved me more than my own parents did.

"We don't have to meet the others for another hour," Myojuan said. "But you're right; we aren't doing any good here. Let's go back to shore and wait for them."

We all kept to the center this time, and I counted myself lucky that I had a nice, warm boyfriend to cuddle up to in a desperate attempt to get warm again. 

~*~

We were supposed to meet Miaka, Taka, and Doukun at a little coffeehouse-type place nearer the center of Manhattan, because there weren't a lot of restaurants in the area we were in. Once there, we ordered lunch—I had chicken noodle soup in a bread bowl, yumm—and waited around for about forty-five minutes before they showed up.

"It…is…_insanely_ cold," was the first thing Doukun when they arrived.

"Heeehhhh…" agreed Miaka and Taka, teeth chattering like those little windup teeth toys.

"Any luck?" Saihitei asked hopefully.

All three of them shook their heads as they pulled up extra chairs to our table. "Not a thing," Doukun sighed. "Not a twinge. Nothing."

"Join the fuckin club," said Genrou.

Myojuan folded his hands in front of him. "Have you checked the mirror recently?"

"Yeah, Sai, have ya?" my red-haired friend said nonchalantly. I could've killed him, especially considering the recent discussion Saihitei and I had had about looks not being important, and the recent conclusion I'd reached concerning his insecurity over the subject. Shooting an anxious glance over at Saihitei, I saw that he either hadn't heard Genrou—which I doubted—or had chosen to ignore him, like everyone else was apparently doing.

Miaka fished the little red mirror out of her bag, opening it for all to see. "It keeps on switching between 'Jiyuu' and 'Kawa.' Doukun says that means 'River.'"

  
Doukun nodded. "So we're no closer than we were at the beginning. We still have the same intimations, and we still don't know if 'Jiyuu' is a broad clue or a specific one."

  
"What if we put up fuckin signs around the whole place?" Genrou suggested sarcastically. "Like they do for lost fuckin _dogs_. '_Have ya fuckin seen me? _24-year-old monk, blue hair, brown eyes, weird fuckin bangs; answers to the name of 'Crack Whore.'"

"Watch it; you might corrupt more innocent children," I warned him, scanning the place for more people with demonic gazes.

"Do you think we should go to the police?" Taka asked seriously. "It's been more than twenty-four hours…"

"In all honesty, I truly believe we will solve this by ourselves," Doukun stated. "Besides, I think the NYPD might _possibly _have more pressing matters to attend to. And we know he's not dead, or we would have felt it."

I remembered what Saihitei had said the previous night, and seized onto the information for comfort. 

"I think we should switch positions," Myojuan said quietly.

We all looked at him, and Miaka shrugged and got out of her chair. "I don't get how this will help, but if you say so, I guess…" The rest of us groaned or rolled our eyes (or both, as my case would have it).

"Sit _down_, you little idiot," Taka said with a small laugh, pulling on her arm.

"What I meant was, the four of us who visited the statue should go down to the river," he clarified. "And you three should try the statue. If there's a possibility that only one of us might be able to sense something, then we ought to try everyone at each place."

Saihitei nodded. "That's a good idea."

"Does that mean we all have to go out in the cold again?" I sighed. And Saihitei actually looked apologetic, throwing me a golden-eyed, rueful expression that plainly expressed that he would spare me the weather if he could.

__

Saihitei…what did I ever do to deserve someone like you? 

"I don't mind," I said, feeling slightly embarrassed at my complaint. After all, there were important things at stake, here. "We all have to go; he's right. I'm…" I cut myself off, finishing with a simple smile. I _had _been going to say I was sorry, but I had the feeling that both Saihitei and now Genrou would probably not appreciate hearing it from me again.

"All right. Give us a little time to get some food and thaw, and we'll go back out," said Taka. 

And that's what we did.

Genrou, Myojuan, Saihitei and I spent the next few hours wandering around the riverbank like relatively well-dressed homeless urchins. I say relatively because Genrou probably does his laundry about as often as most homeless urchins, and my own clothing was not exactly The Gap. With his big trench coat and his hands in his pockets, Saihitei looked like a Mafia guy or something, waiting for a body to be delivered or a drug deal to be made or what have you.

I felt like a _complete _idiot. If we got picked up by the police for loitering, it was gonna be one hell of a job trying to explain ourselves.

Policeman: So, can you explain yourselves?

Me: Umm, well…we are in search of a friend of ours from a past life who disappeared suddenly and left "The River" as his only clue. A magic mirror told us that he had come to New York City, so we've spent the past few hours trying to hone into the special spiritual connection we have with him, but so far, we've had no luck. 

Policeman: Can I quote you on that in the criminal trial?…

"Ryuuen, come on. It's time to go now," said Saihitei suddenly, awakening me from my insipid daydream.

"What? What time is it?" I shivered.

"Five. It's going to get dark soon, though, and it'll be even colder; we're heading back." He held out his arm. As I started walking toward him and the others, he joined me, setting the arm around my shoulders. "How are you doing?"

"Fine, I'm just cold," I said, leaning into him.

__

Cold.

A shard of ice pierced through my chest, and my breath caught in my throat; I stumbled over my own feet. Saihitei's arm tightened around my shoulders, and he moved his other hand around to my chest to stop me from falling.

"Careful."

__

What's…what's with the ice in the chest? 

I just had a memory of being cold, I think… Just a little one. 

Hmm.

That was kinda weird.

I laughed despite the weirdness. "Sorry! Whew; long day, huh?"

"Horrendous," he agreed, and we hurried over to the cab the others had flagged down, looking forward to the warmth of the Gershwin Hotel.

****

THE END

AHAHAHAH!!! Had ya goin, did I? ^_~ Okay, maybe I didn't. Heehee. I had to do that, though, because I am a spazz. Sorry. ^^;;;;;;; What I _meant _to type is…

TBC… 

^_~
****    Notes: It's all winding down now! ^^;;; Sorry this chapter was kinda boring, and nothing much happened. --;; But the next one will be better, as far as Stuff Happening is concerned. Thanks for reading, everyone! I hope you liked it, even though the chapter's…_bleeeeccchhhhh._
    
Oh, and practically _none _of this was beta-read. --;; Sorry if it's bad. I'll fix it tomorrow. ^_~
ANOTHER STORY AKUGI!!!!! ****

Ryuuen: **narrating** Genrou wasn't exactly what one would call _sparing _with his money. He wasn't as bad as Taka, not by half. But he didn't have a lot, just like any college kid, and he was really careful with it. The only times he'd ever offer to pay for someone was if he was apolo…

****

Kokkei: APOLO OHNO???????

****

Ryuuen: … --;;

****

Tomo: **ice skates across the room** Look, look!! I can be _just like _him, Kei-chan!!….**runs into a wall** Ah…Ouchies…

~~~~~~~~

ANOTHER STORY AKUGI!!! TAKE TWO!! ****

Ryuuen: **still narrating** With his big trench coat and his hands in his pockets, Saihitei looked like a Mafia guy or something, waiting for a body to be delivered or a drug deal to be made or what have you.

****

Saihitei: And may your first child…be a masculine child.

****

Ryuuen: Hello?…We're _anime characters_.

****

Saihitei: Luca Brazi sleeps with the fishes.

^^;;;;; Anyhooooooooo…


	24. ...Even Though it Hurts.

****

(_Nuriko: Ne, Mouse-chan!!! Work on your thesis!!!_

****

Me: Hmm?? What?

****

Nuriko: You know, that 40-plus-page paper that's due in two months?

****

Me: What? Thesis? I'm not writing a thesis…

****

Nuriko: ^^;;;;;;;; )

****

Warnings: Language. MAJOR shounen ai in this chapter. MAJOR sap. --;; Angsty. Gahhh.

****

Notes: Ryuen claims that "I Could Fall In Love" by Selena is a good music choice for the second section of this chapter. ^^;;; Trust her, I guess. Hehe. Lalala, I'm tired, and I hope you guys like this chapter. ^^ It might be more interesting than the last one, if you're up for the sap thing. **shrug** Have fun!

****

ANOTHER STORY

Chapter 24:

…Even Though it Hurts.

"We're _never _gonna fuckin find him," groaned Genrou, sprawled out face-down on the hotel bed.

"We _will_," said Myojuan firmly. "I know we will. This was only the first day of looking; it would be naïve to believe we'd find him this easily."

We all nodded, but sullenly. I knew we _wanted _Myojuan to be right. But after the failure of the long, cold day, it was hard not to lose faith.

__

Come on, come on, come on… Chin up. You'll never get anywhere thinking like that. Always look on the bright side of life, doo doo, doodoodoodoodoodoo…

"Yeah," I said with a grin, surprising myself. "I mean…we _did _tell our parents we were gonna be gone for the whole _week_, right? We _can't _have expected to succeed right away. Not really, anyway."

"Ryuu-chan's right!" Miaka said firmly, standing up and clenching her fist. "We're being stupid! We'll find Chichiri, no matter what! Even if it takes us _all winter_!"

"All _wiiiinter_…" Taka moaned, hanging his head.

"I doubt it will take that long," said Saihitei. 

"We should keep the same course tomorrow," Doukun instructed. "Those clues have to mean _something_. He didn't show up at either location today, but he might tomorrow."

Genrou raised his head. "But what if we're completely fuckin _wrong_? What if we've got it all fucked up?!"

"What else could it insinuate?" said Doukun with a shrug. "There's only one river that's near the Statue of Liberty. I think if we go again, Houjun might be there."

"Yeah, what if we're walking around the city and he's right where we were today tomorrow?" I said, stumbling over the last few words, awkward as they were. "That'd be pesky and ironic."

"I think we should return to the same places," Saihitei agreed. "I know it's tedious, but it seems like the wisest choice."

Most of us nodded to show our approval. Miaka, who seemed to be on a Sailor Moon kick, exclaimed, "Yeah! We shall overcome boredom for the greater good!!" And Genrou just sighed dramatically and covered his head with a pillow.

~*~

No…No… __

~

Cold…

~

Stop…

~

I screamed. It tore from my throat roughly, hoarsely, like I didn't have enough air in my lungs to do it right. I tried to open my eyes…I tried to open my eyes, but I couldn't…I had to watch…I had to…

There were hands on my shoulders, warm hands, but I shrank away from them; all power to scream had dissolved, leaving me only with muted exclamations and tiny whimpers to ward off whatever had grabbed me…

__

So cold…

"_Ryuuen!_"

__

My name.

…My name…

And suddenly, there was darkness… There was darkness, but I knew I had opened my eyes, because it was bright when they were shut. Snowy white. 

My vision was tinged with glowing red, which seemed to be coming from my chest…and in the red light, I could see…a face.

__

Saihitei.

I was shaking and sweating, like the previous two nights, chest heaving painfully, gasping. It was the dream. It was the dream again…

"It's all right… Nuriko, Ryuuen, it's all right, sweetheart…it was just a dream. You were having a bad dream, but it's over now." The hands drew me up into a sitting position, stroked my damp hair, held me close against a warm, beating heart…

__

…It wasn't just a dream. It wasn't just a dream. It wasn't it wasn't it wasn't it wasn't…

Because I remembered.

I remembered the dream I'd forgotten.

__

Ashitare.

That was his name. One of the Seiryuu no Shichiseishi…I'd fought him before, shot a flare into his eye when he attacked us in the town… He found me again.

I thought I could beat him. He said he'd hurt my friends if I let him get away.

That couldn't happen. I couldn't let that happen.

So I fought him. I was all alone, but I fought him. And somewhere along the line…I realized…that if he were to die, then I had to die.

I was going to die.

I knew it…I knew it before I felt the claws rip through my chest, before I stared up into the sky, suspended by pain. I didn't know anything could be that painful…I didn't know dying would be that hard…

Choking, I tried to shove myself away from Saihitei, desperate to talk. "I remember! I remember…I remember…" My voice was still raw, and I clutched at his chest frantically, trying to grab onto him. My eyes were swimming; I could barely see…

__

…The pain stopped, but I was so tired, light-headed…I would have forgotten I was hurt if it hadn't been for the red that stained the snow…

…Red in the snow…It was pretty, really…like a woman's face. White and red.

…That was stupid of me… I won't be able to help Miaka if I'm dead…

His hands went to either side of my face, holding me still. "Shhhhh, shhh!!" he attempted to quiet me, trying to keep his calm, but I knew I was scaring him; I couldn't help it. "I know…I know, it's all right…"

"H-Hotohori-sama…it was so cold…" I swallowed, shaking, now speaking in little more than a pathetic squeak. "And…it…it _hurt_…" And I lost it; I just started crying. I was too upset to even _think _about the fact that I was embarrassing myself, or that I was being a hindrance. 

"Oh, gods…I know…" Saihitei stroked my cheek with a trembling hand, his own face contorting into a mask of anguish. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry! I should have been there with you…I should have gone with you…you wouldn't have been alone then. I'm so sorry I left you alone…"

__

What's this? What's this? No…he's not supposed to cry. Hotohori-sama can't cry. Not because of me! 

Lightly, I brushed at his eyes with my own hand, feeling the wetness there; the surprise at his reaction had lessened my own sobs, though tears still poured down my cheeks. Reaching up, pressing his lips together, he took my hand in his and closed his eyes, squeezing it tightly.

"Nuriko…" he whispered tremulously.

"Don't cry," I said in a small voice. "Don't cry…please…"

And he opened his arms and hugged me close, rocking back and forth almost unconsciously, offering sobbing apologies in my ear as I cried into his shoulder. At first, I was a little frightened that he wasn't listening to me. It scared me that he was so upset, and I was too much of a mess myself to try to comfort him. 

But…

Then I realized that he needed this. He needed to get rid of all the guilt he'd built up since Nuriko had…since _I _had died in the Book World. And he would never have done so if I wouldn't have remembered what had happened. 

__

Gen-chan was wrong. I'm glad I remembered this. I'm glad…

…Even though it hurts. I'm glad.

~*~

When I woke up, I was warm. 

For once, Saihitei was awake before me, and he brushed my bangs from my eyes as they fluttered open. I peered up at him blearily, saw the dried tracks of tears on his face, and reached out a hand to try to brush them away. He smiled and caught my hand as he had the night before, twining our fingers together, and leaned down to kiss my eyelid. 

"Hi," I whispered, studying his face.

"Hi."

Despite having just woken up, I felt drained, somehow. Weak. But as always, I managed to conjure up a smile. "Didn't disturb you last night, did I?" I asked, attempting to be funny.

He shook his head. "I'd rather be disturbed than leave you alone with whatever haunts you."

__

Heart clench. "That's poetic."

"They say the best poets are men in love."

"Who says?"

"I do."

"Ahhh, I see."

There was a slight pause as he peered intently into my eyes, trailing his finger gently down the center of my forehead and off the tip of my nose. I giggled.

"We should get up. We were planning on leaving around ten; that's in an hour."

I nodded, though my bones groaned at the thought of another full day of walking. Saihitei gave me a second kiss, this time on the lips, and rose to get ready. Sitting up and scratching my head, I let out a large yawn, looking across at the other bed to see Miaka doing the same. With a grin, I waved at her.

She waved back, and climbed out of her and Taka's bed to join me in ours. As she approached, I was startled to see that her eyes were red and swollen.

"M…Miaka?" I said, my own eyes wide.

"Hmm?" She wrapped her arms around my chest, resting her chin on my shoulder. 

__

She heard last night. She heard. Well, for crying out loud, anyone who wasn't DEAF would've heard.

"Um…" I began, fumbling. "About last night…I didn't…"

"Ryuu-chan," she said softly, giving me a squeeze, "shut up."

I sighed. "I didn't want to die. I didn't want to leave you."

"I know."

"I'm sorry I wasn't stronger."

She laughed a little, then sniffed. "You're the strongest person I know. And I mean that. Don't forget it."

"That's funny," I said, stricken with sudden memories of Miaka, rooted in the past. "That's funny… I was gonna say the same thing about _you_."

"Me?" Miaka snorted, the model of elegance. "You're crazy."

"I'm not crazy. I remember. I was there."

Slight pause.

"…Ryuuen?"

"Yeah?"

"Short people rule."

I giggled. "Yeah."

~*~

Miaka and Taka went down with the others for the continental breakfast, and I imagined that the hotel management would soon be regretting that the breakfast was free. The previous morning, she'd eaten _all _of the muffins, and most of the donuts, too. I myself didn't really feel like eating. It's a symptom of crying, I guess: either you're really hungry after you cry, or you feel really gross and stomach-churny. And the latter is how I felt after I had the nightmare.

Saihitei stayed up in the hotel room with me while everyone else ate. Apparently he was feeling gross, too. I was still moderately shaken from my recent surge of traumatic memories, and he sat with me on the bed and let me lie my head in his lap, petting my hair so gently that it almost put me to sleep again. 

"Sai," I said sleepily.

"Hm?"

"I didn't mean to upset you."

There was a relatively long silence.

"You didn't upset me."

"But…I made you cry," I reminded him weakly.

"Ryuuen, _you _did not make me cry. It was my own heart that decided that for me."

More silence.

"Sai?"

"Yeeees?"

"I just want you to know that…my last thoughts, before… They were of you."

The hand on my head slowed for just a moment before resuming its previous rhythm.

"Thank you," he whispered, and I closed my eyes, at peace.

I won't think about this any more today. I won't let it get to me. __

You can't live in the present if you can't move beyond the past.

~*~

That day was almost exactly the same as the day before, except this time, Miaka, Taka, Saihitei and I went to the river first, and the others checked out the Statue. I hoped Genrou wouldn't cause more problems getting on the boat. Even more than that, I hoped that poor woman with the traumatized kid didn't decide to pay a second visit to the place.

If she did, she'd be in for an unpleasant surprise.

The one piece of good luck we had was that it wasn't _quite _as cold as it had been before. We were near a body of water, which meant that, naturally, we were subject to a fair amount of wind. But even the wind seemed to be weaker, which was a _major _relief, considering I was so tired I could barely move.

The bad luck, however, came in a nice big parcel of Bad Stuff. At the top of the list was the fact that we _still _couldn't connect to Houjun. Following were lesser evils, such as the aforementioned fatigue, the hunger that had begun to set in since we'd arrived, the feeling of hopelessness and uselessness, and the fact that Taka stepped in dog poop on the way down to the shore.

(Okay, so we laughed at him, which _kinda _made it good. But he was pretty irritated, so…bad.)

Finally, we called it quits and headed back to the little coffee shop, which had become our Secret Headquarters, New York Branch. The others were already there. Maybe it was a Statue of Liberty Thing, leaving early. I dunno. 

Genrou, Doukun, and Myojuan were sitting at a table by the window, eating sandwiches. I circled around behind Genrou and gave him a noogie with an evil grin. He flailed his arms and managed to get mayonnaise all over my sleeve. "FUCK!!!! Ya fuckin say _hello_ first?"

"Hellooooo," I said, taking the window seat next to him. 

He glared at me. "Why the fuck do ya look so fuckin tired? Why're yer eyes red? Fuckin contacts actin up?"

Genrou, the Ever-Tactful. Ryuuen's Solution: Change The Subject. "Good sandwich? Need some more mayo?" I displayed my messy coat sleeve to him, cocking an eyebrow.

"What's up? I assume you would've called Sai's cell if you would've felt anything, huh?" Taka said, without much hope.

"Yeah. Big fat fuckin _nothin_," said Genrou. "And I'm never goin to the fuckin Statue of Liberty _again_. At least, not on a fuckin _boat_."

Saihitei let out a long breath and sat down on Genrou's other side, propping his head up on his elbows. Miaka bounced into her seat with a chipper, "Well, maybe we'll be more lucky when we swap!"

"Maybe we should just give up," Doukun sighed. "As much as I hate to say it…we know he's not dead. And he's an adult. He's mature. He can take care of himself."

"He's also fuckin _nutso_," Gen-chan kindly reminded us. 

"Well…_confused_ might be a better word," Saihitei mumbled.

As they discussed the situation, I put my chin in my hand and let my gaze wander out the window. I was just too tired to help with the thinking. It was moderately busy on the street outside the shop. Normal people with normal lives were driving their cars, walking their little dogs, riding their bikes…not worrying about whether one of their reincarnated friends was wandering around the town with a flower pot on his head, declaring himself the King of the Mooncalves. 

__

Wouldn't change it, though. Wouldja. The whole Past Life thing.

No.

I smiled to myself.

There was a little restaurant right across the street, a sandwich shop like this one, only a little nicer, maybe. There was a big, ornate sign painted on the window, in silver and blue, all swirly and kinda Celtic in design. Next to it, there was an old-fashioned drug store with…

__

Wait.

__

Wait wait wait wait just a sec…

My heart leapt into my throat, and my hand fell limply down to the table.

__

That sign.

That pretty sign says…

Jaw dropping almost to my chest, I read the name of the place across the street.

'_The River_.'

And at a little table, right underneath the sign, sat a man in a purple dress shirt with powder blue hair, his bangs sticking almost straight up and drooping just slightly to the side…

****

TBC…

****

Notes: AAAhhhhhhhh!!! Did anyone see that coming? Was it cheesy? Predictable? Maybe? Well, there's Chichiri for ya. **gestures with hands** See? Woo! I apologize for the nightmarish (no pun intended) sap in this chapter. ^^;;; It is rrrrather abundant. Ah well. **shrug**

ANOTHER STORY AKUGI ****

Ryuuen: AAAHHHHHHHH!!!

****

Saihitei: NURIKO!! It's okay! It's just a nightmare!!

****

Ryuuen: Oh, thank the GODS!!! **wipes sweat from brow** Whoah…that was _awful_!!

****

Saihitei: **hugs** It's okay. I'm your pillow. I'm here for you.

****

Ryuuen: **sobs**

****

Saihitei: So…what was your dream about?

****

Ryuuen: Gahhh, it was so scary! I dreamed they made a third OVA and they made me a girl!!

****

Saihitei: …

****

Ryuuen: …Sai?

****

Saihitei: …Mm?

****

Ryuuen: This is the part where you kiss me and tell me it's okay and it was just a dream.

****

Saihitei: Eheh…ummm….

****

Ryuuen: **stiffens** S-Saihitei? Why aren't you saying it?

****

Saihitei: Well, it might not be so bad being a girl, ya know? ^^;;;;

****

Ryuuen: Wh…what???!!! **cries** Whadda ya mean???

****

Saihitei: **changing the subject quickly** Do you like newts?!

****

Ryuuen: ?!?!?!?!

(Hai, it's true!!! **sob** He's a girl in the OVA3. How very sad g.g )


	25. Found

****

Disclaimer: **sticks fingers in ears** LALALALALALALALALALA…

****

Warnings: Potentially R-rated language in a PG-13-rated story. ^_^() Long explanations, lots of staring, bad puns, all that fun stuff. --;;

****

Notes: ^^;;;; Umm…I had trouble writing this chapter because it's so close to the end. So it took me longer than expected. I hope it's okay, and not a total let-down for you guys. **siiiiiigh** 

****

ANOTHER STORY

Chapter 25:

Found

I jumped to my feet with eyes as big as Monster Truck tires, unable to speak, bounced around on my toes for a sec, and then plowed past Genrou and Saihitei and out the door. The only thing I could think of was that I had to get over there, I had to get across the street and snag Houjun before he disappeared again. Somehow, the fact that there was a street full of cars between me and my long-lost companion didn't appear to register, and before I had time to think, there was a loud, obnoxious honking/screeching sound, and suddenly…I was flying.

Next thing I knew, I was on the other side of the street. And Genrou was…carrying me, holding me under my knees and shoulders and gasping for breath.

"_FUCKIN CRAZY MORON!!! NEVER do that again!!!!_" he yelled in my ear, his face bright red. "You do that again, I'll fuckin kill you _myself_!! Ya _hear_??!!" He proceeded to chew me out like nobody's business, using curse words I didn't even know existed.

Normally, it would have made me flinch. But I squawked and squirmed free—_Gotta get him now, gotta get him now, what if he leaves before I get there?_—and darted into The River.

__

What a stupid name for a restaurant. What a stupid, stupid…

…He was staring at me when I burst through the rotating doors, and as I stood there, panting and pale, our eyes locked.

For the longest time…there was silence.

__

Why did you run away? What the hell were you thinking? I wanted to scream. _Why didn't you call me, or write me, like I said? Why did you have to scare us like this, WHY??_ _I'm so glad you're all right, I'm so glad you're all right…_

Something in his eyes said to go to him, so I did, as soon as I could move. I placed a hand on the corner of the little table, fingers brushing against the white linen of the cloth covering it, still too numb to say anything, or to bend my legs to sit down.

"You almost got killed," he remarked calmly, breaking the silence between us. 

That was it. The dam had broken. "Chichiri," I whispered. "Why did you come here? Why didn't you tell us?"

He lowered his eyes to his water glass. "I did."

"That email you sent Miaka barely _counts_," I said crossly, but weakly. "It sounded like you'd gone insane."

A slight pause, and he looked me in the eye again, his deep brown irises tinged with regret. "I'm…not so sure I hadn't."

"Ya coulda fuckin called," Genrou growled at my shoulder, and I gave a little start, not having noticed him approach.

"I needed to do this alone, that's all," said Houjun quietly, almost bitterly. He sighed and glanced out the window, where I saw the rest of the Warrior Guys and Miaka hurrying over the crosswalk. "I suppose it was silly to think you'd leave me be. I knew you'd come after me, even if I told you not to. The only hope I had was that if I didn't call, you wouldn't know where to go to find me."

"Why did you want to be alone? We're star brothers," I said, firmly, inwardly wincing because I sounded like a stubborn kid. "If anyone could help you, don't you think it'd be us?"

"Fuckin' A," Genrou contributed hotly, and I felt a sharp stab of guilt. Houjun hadn't known I'd spilled about his memories; now, it was fairly obvious.

But if he was surprised and angry and disappointed, he didn't show it. 

"Not with this." Houjun shook his head, sipping from his wine goblet. "Not with this."

"With what?" I asked, still torn between hugging him to death, begging his forgiveness for blabbing, and punching him through the pretty painted window. Right now, the hugging thing was dominant in my mind.

"Hmm. Here comes the crowd," he said, putting his napkin on the table and standing.

"HOUJUN!!!" Miaka cried, wasting no time before barreling into him like one magnet into another. "You're all right! We were so worried about you!" He hugged her back, then recoiled with a surprised grunt when she kicked him in the knee. "Why didn't you _call us_??"

"Ahem…" coughed Someone, who turned out to be the Maitre D' of the place. We turned to look at him, sheepish, and he gave us the evil eye. Didn't say anything. Just…stood…and glared…

"Hello," said Houjun with a slight grin, rubbing his leg. "A table for eight, please?"

~*~

"What was so important?" Taka demanded, trying valiantly to keep his voice down. We had moved to an extra-large booth near the center of the restaurant; Taka, Miaka, Genrou, and Doukun were on one side, and Saihitei and Myojuan and I had Houjun sandwiched in the middle. With Taka almost leaning on the table in the intensity of his question, it reminded me of the Spanish Inquisition, or something. "What was so important that you left us all behind to worry?? Didn't you stop to think about how _we'd _feel? About how selfish it was, just to run off like that with barely a word??!!"

"Takaaaa," Miaka said under her breath, setting a hand on his arm.

"I didn't mean to make you worry," Houjun sighed. "I wasn't…I wasn't thinking clearly. I'm sorry. My head was spinning faster than I could handle."

"Why did you come here?" Saihitei said gently, cutting Taka off before he could reply. "What were you looking for?"

With a sad smile, our blue-haired friend bowed his head. "I came to see Kouran," he said. "I had to come to see Kouran."

We gazed around at each other.

"Who the fuck is _Kouran_?" Genrou huffed.

"The girl you loved." All heads—except Houjun's—swiveled in Myojuan's direction. The big med student was focused completely on the defeated man next to him, taking him in with calm, blue-violet eyes.

__

Girl? Chichiri loved a girl? …Wasn't he a MONK?

Stupid. Ya think just cuz he's a monk, he didn't have a heart? And besides…

…And besides…

That's why he became a monk in the first place. Isn't it.

"When I met her in this life," Houjun began, eyes practically closed, "I knew who she was. I knew all too well, and I tried to stop myself from falling in love with her. But…you can't choose whom you love. It would be too easy if that were the case. So it happened anyway. Though I never told her, I fell in love with her." He sighed. "And…he was the same, too. Hikou."

Miaka shoved her water glass across the table at him.

He blinked at her.

Taka swatted her. "That's his _name_, remember? Chichiri's friend's _name_??!"

"Please, continue," Doukun entreated, doing his best to ignore the girl sitting next to him.

"_HIKOU_…and I," Houjun said pointedly, though his tone betrayed some amusement, "were best friends. That's just…the way it was. We met during one of my lapses…one of those periods where I'd managed to completely block the past from my memory. I don't know how much Nuriko told you about what I went through…"

I couldn't tell if he was secretly mad at me or not, and my heart started panicking a little. My big mouth refused to stay shut any longer. "Houjun, I'm so sorry! When Sai said he'd heard you call Gen-chan Tasuki, too, I…"

"Nuriko." He cocked his head in my direction, soft eyes shifting over to me. "It's all right; I don't blame you. You were right to have told them. _I _should have told everyone a long time ago." I nodded, but I still must've looked pretty uncertain, because he gave me a smile, reached down and gave my hand a squeeze before continuing. "Even when I started remembering again, I couldn't abandon Hikou. He was a good friend. And… when he told me he was in love with Kouran, too…I couldn't hurt him. I couldn't hurt him like that."

"Well, if ya didn't wanna fuckin hurt him, why'd ya fuckin _come _here?!" Guess who.

"Because Kouran didn't love Hikou," Houjun sighed. "She loved _me_."

"Well, what the fuck was the _problem _then??!!"

"_Dammit_, Gen-chan!" I snapped. "Haven't you been _listening_? His best friend was in love with her! Someone he loved like a brother! Even if she didn't love him, he couldn't do that to his friend!" Briefly, my eyes met Taka's, and I jerked a little, my voice and my gaze both dropping. "Besides, friendship is more important than love… To some extent! To some extent!" I amended hastily, straightening when I remembered exactly who was sitting next to me. "Ehehehehehehhe…love ya, Sai."

"Mm hmm." He looped an elbow around my neck.

"But what the fuck is…"

"Tasuki," came Myojuan's deep voice. "Please. Do us all a favor. Shut up and let Chichiri explain."

Astoundingly enough, that did the trick. Gen-chan's eyes widened alarmingly, and he drew his shoulders in like a little boy, chastened. 

"There's not really that much more to tell," said Houjun. "I tried to forget. I tried to forget _everything_. Kouran moved out here, and I thought I would finally be free…but then I met you, Miaka. I wasn't expecting that. No, don't be upset. I'm not unhappy that I met you all again. I think…my life will be better because of it, actually." He turned to me. "When I talked to you that night…despite the things I said, it really made me see things more clearly than I ever had before. I saw you and Hotohori together and happy at last, and I loved that. You two…you've found a happiness that could never have been yours in the past. And I started thinking…if you two could be happy, then why not me? …Why not me?"

My heart ached for him. It wasn't fair; he was right, _everyone _should be happy. Why were Saihitei and I allowed to regain the past, and not poor Houjun? Even Blond Police Guy didn't seem to be particularly evil anymore. He'd seemed happy enough, and he'd been our _enemy_!

"The more I considered this, the more…insane…I became," Houjun was saying. "The more I thought about Kouran, and what we'd meant to each other, the more I kept telling myself to go after her. Even if she didn't love me anymore, even if Hikou _was _my best friend, I had to _tell _her how I felt. I had to rid myself of those demons. So I came here. I knew she'd moved here, and we'd been keeping in touch until about six months ago. Apparently, she's just moved into a different apartment, so I didn't have the right home address…but I knew she was working here. And they won't tell me where she lives now. I suppose that's smart, though. They don't know who I am, after all."

"Well…how long've you been here?" Miaka asked, excited. "Did you see her yet? Where is she?"

"She's…been sick, they say," he explained. "This is the fourth day I've been here, and she has the _flu_." An ironic chuckle. "Gods, I'm so nervous…might've known it would be dragged out like this."

"And where's Hikou?" I inquired softly.

He shrugged. "We lost touch. Never should've let that happen, but it did. I don't know if he's here, or…or _what_."

"Well, ya could fuckin _ask_," Gen-chan grumbled, still slumped. When Houjun returned the comment with a blank expression, he cleared his throat loudly and straightened up.

__

Oh, nooooooooo!! Someone stop him before it's…

"Hey, you!! Fuckin waiter dude!"

As a pale kid with a water pitcher froze under Genrou's glare, staring in horror at my friend's beckoning hand, I groaned quietly and dropped my head into my hands. 

__

Yyyyup. Gotta keep up the tradition of Scaring The Wait Staff…

"Hey, kid! Yeah, I'm talkin ta _you_! You know a chick named Kouran, works here with ya?"

Keeping his distance, the kid nodded; Houjun brought a hand up to his face in exasperation.

"Tasuki," Taka hissed, and naturally, he was ignored.

"She have a fuckin boyfriend named Hiccup? Or…just a friend?"

"_HIKOU_!!" the rest of us exclaimed, a good percentage of us muffled by our hands.

"Urrmmm…water?" said the waiter, lifting his pitcher slightly, like a peace offering.

"Look," growled Genrou, "we don't have the fuckin hiccups. All we wanna know is if Kourin has a _boyfriend _named Hiccup…"

"Kourin's my _sister_, ya dork," I exclaimed, head snapping up.

"Then what's Chiri's fuckin chick's name?!"

"_KOURAN!! _And his best friend's name is _HIKOU_!!!"

"And we are not '_chicks_,'" Miaka added, crossing her arms. "We are '_ladies_.'"

The water boy, meanwhile, had taken a step backward. "I…I don't know nothin! You're askin the wrong guy…I'm…I'm just the guy with the water! Ya wanna see Kouran? I'll get her! Just…just don't hurt me!"

"_Shit_, kid!" Gen-chan exclaimed. "I ain't gonna fuckin _hurt _ya!! I just asked a fuckin _question_, no need ta get all _blubbery _and shit!…"

"Kouran's here?" Houjun's voice cut through his ranting. "She's…she's here?"

__

That's what he said! I heard it, too; he said he'd get her! That mean's she's here, doesn't it? Doesn't it?

We all fell silent, and the kid nodded frantically. "She just got here! You're the guy that's been hanging around waitin for her, ain't ya?"

A quick glance at Houjun showed suddenly pale features and large eyes; his mouth had dropped open a bit, his hands lay limp on the table. 

And then…

"Houjun?…"

There, in the door of the kitchen, stood a young woman with long, lavender hair, paused as if in the middle of tying it up into a ponytail. Her delicate features mirrored those of Houjun; her blue-gray eyes sparkled in the cheap electric light, and she looked like an angel, surrounded by the relative brightness coming from the room behind her.

Houjun stood up quickly, without a word; not knowing what else to do, I did, too, until Saihitei's gentle hand on my shoulder pushed me back to my seat. For the longest time, the two of them just stood there, joined by nothing more than a gaze.

"Wh…what are you doing here?!" Kouran exclaimed finally, taking a few steps forward and breaking out into a brilliant smile. The ethereal look that had surrounded her disappeared as she moved, and she suddenly turned from an angel to a young woman who would never be what society would call exceptionally pretty. 

But society is dumb, and often gets its priorities muddled up. For Houjun—and for me, living the moment almost vicariously through him—she was the most beautiful thing in the world.

"I came to find you," Houjun breathed.

Her eyes widened, her mouth twisting into a surprised grin. "Find me?"

"Ryuuen," Saihitei whispered, his arm around my shoulders, dragging me out of the booth so that Houjun could get out without having to climb over us. I let him move me, still fixed on Kouran, heart growing bigger and bigger in my chest. I wanted to jump up and down because we'd found Houjun, and he'd found Kouran, and things might actually turn out well between them. It was like watching a movie. I felt kinda displaced, like an invisible observer, watching a movie and waiting for the happy ending. 

__

A happy ending! Will we have a happy ending? We've waited for one for so long…Miaka and Tama-chan had theirs, Mitsukake found Shouka again, Chiriko got a chance to grow up, Tasuki…has his friends, whole and well. And Hotohori and I… Hotohori and I…are like something out of a fairy tale. I don't think "happy" quite sums it up for us. Dude. This much of a perfect relationship can't be normal. 

I watched Houjun move over to where his old friend was standing, heard him ask her to talk with him ever so softly, saw her smile and nod, a question bright in her eyes. 

Saihitei's arms had gone around my shoulders, holding me loosely, my back against his chest. Reaching up, I placed my hands on his, hooking my fingers around his much larger, much warmer palms.

__

Please. We're so happy; everyone is so happy.

Let Chichiri have his happy ending, too.

****

TBC…

Notes: AHHHHH!!!! Only one chapter left!!!! **bursts into tears** Ummmm…sorry about the long explanation in this part. ^^;;; And the awful Hikou pun. **wince** And I'm sorry to all the Tasuki/Chichiri folks out there…**sniff** I've had this planned for a while, though. Don't hate me. ^^;; Anyhoo, thanks for reading, you guys! **hugs** 

****

Red-chan's Note: Red-chan would like everyone to know that "Hikou" actually means "Nostril" in Japanese. O.O Ahem. How cruel of his parents.

ANOTHER STORY AKUGI!!! ****

Houjun: I came to find you.

****

Kouran: Ahahahaha!! No you don't!! **runs and hides** You have to count to ten first!

****

Everyone Else: **scrambles and goes to hide, too**

****

Houjun: **alone** Damn.

ANOTHER STORY AKUGI!!! Take Two: ****

Ryuuen: This much of a perfect relationship can't be normal.

****

Saihitei: Of course…it…caaaaannnnn….

****

Ryuuen: O.o;;; What the hell???!!

****

Mouse-chan: Oh! Sorry…his batteries must've worn out.

****

Ryuuen: WHAAAT??

****

Mouse-chan: **goes to wind Sai up** Well, you're always commenting about how he's a robot, and stuff. Seriously, d'ya think guys like this actually exist??

****

Ryuuen: I HATE YOU!!! **runs away crying**

^_^

…**ANOTHER STORY AKUGI!! Take Two: Three Seconds Later  
  
Saihitei: **Awww, that was really kinda mean, ending it like that. 

****

Mouse-chan: g.g I know, gomen.

****

Saihitei: I want my Ryuuen back.

****

Mouse-chan: Very well. 

****

Ryuuen: Heyyy!! How'd I get here??

****

Mouse-chan: **shrug** I'm the author. Ya do what I want.

****

Ryuuen: ~.~() That doesn't bode well for human agency.

****

Mouse-chan: You haven't got any, anyway. Remember the whole Destiny thing?

****

Ryuuen: Awww…

****

Saihitei: This Akugi is leading nowhere.

****

Mouse-chan: You're right. So kiss, already.

****

Ryuuen: Sai?…Are you really a robot?

****

Saihitei: Of course not.

****

Ryuuen: Woohoo!! **kissy**

Random Quotes of the Day: ****

Ryuen: I have done something that I have never done before.

****

Mouse-chan: Sneezed on a hamster?

****

Ryuen: …

^_^()


	26. A Happy Ending

****

Disclaimer: I didn't own FY at the beginning of this story, and I don't at the end. **sniff** Even after all that hard work…. ^_^

****

Warnings: Language, sap, shounen ai, time jump, give-away chapter title. :P Dancing shrimp. O.O

****

Notes: Last chapter. **sniff** I hope you guys like it. 

****

ANOTHER STORY

Chapter 26:

A Happy Ending

__

About a month later…

"Ryuuen! Ryuuen, they're starting to arrive; are you ready?"

I was _not _ready. At the moment, in fact, I was attempting to remove my head from the sleeve of my sweater. Who knows how that happened. But I let out a muffled "Ahhhh…Yeah!! I'm…I'm coming!!" as I hopped around Saihitei's bedroom, hoping I wouldn't run into anything and break it, or…knock myself out, or anything. When I'd finally freed my head and stuck it through the _correct _hole, imagine my horror at the sight of my hair sticking almost straight up with static.

"GAHHH!!!" I cried, clutching it desperately, and flew to the bathroom to wet it down. 

__

I hate sweaters! I hate sweaters! Hate hate hate hate hate…

But Sai had given me the sweater, and I loved Sai. Even though the sweater wasn't exciting—just green and red stripes, with no reindeer or holly or anything of which to speak—it was comfortable, and it smelled like Sai's house, all cinnamonny and stuff. I suppose it couldn't help it if it made my hair stick up, or if it was boring.

I _kinda _managed to fix my hair so I didn't look like a dandelion, and rushed back out into the bedroom to find some socks that would make up for the stripes. 

"Ack!" I squeaked as I ran smack into Sai, bouncing off of his chest and stumbling backward. He caught my arms to keep me from falling on my butt, and smiled, sparkly-eyed.

"Careful. Miaka and Taka just got here; do you need any help?"

"Nope." I shook my head. "Just finding socks. Did they bring food? Do you think we have enough to…"

"Stop worrying." He tapped a finger to my nose. "We have enough food to feed a small army."

"Okay, so that takes care of Miaka…how about the rest of us, though?"

Leaning down, he brushed his lips against mine. "I've got things under control. If a food crisis should arise, we could always order pizza, or something."

"Sai, _no_!" I gasped. "Not _pizza_!!! It's _Christmas_!!! We can't have pizza on Christmas, it's…it's…_Christmas_!!!!"

He laughed, and ruffled my hair. "All right, all _right_! No pizza. But believe me, we have _plenty._ And why's your hair damp?"

"Static," I pouted.

"Do you want some hairspray? That might make it better."

"Are you _kidding_?! I'm not going anywhere near Gen-chan with something flammable in my hair! You can't be too careful with him, even if his tessen _is _still MIA."

"Point taken."

I sighed, shaking my head. "Poor Gen-chan. It's been almost _two months_. I wonder what could've happened to the thing?"

"He'll find it. Or, it will find _us_. It did before, didn't it?"

The doorbell rang, and I heard Miaka's voice yell, "I GOT IT!!!!!!!!" Jerking out of my state of calm, I skidded into the chest of drawers in search of socks.

__

White…white…white…black…brown…stripe…AAAAAHHHHH!!! WHERE DID ALL OF MYYYYY SOCKS GO????!!!!!! "Sai? Where're all my spiffy socks? Did you move them to another drawer??" _Don't panic. Don't panic…_

Something tapped me gently on the shoulder, and I looked up quickly to see Saihitei, his head turned away as if not paying attention, humming quietly. In his outstretched hand, he held a small box, wrapped in green and silver paper.

I blinked. "Uh?"

His eyes wandered over to me, eyebrows lifting, as I accepted the proffered item and stared at it dumbly. "It's a gift," he prompted.

"Do…you want me to open it now?" 

He tossed me a Look. "No, I just thought I'd taunt you. Yes, please; open it, it might help."

"You shouldn't've b…"

"For the sake of the Four Gods, it's _Christmas_," he stated firmly. "You make such a big deal if I ever buy you presents, but it's _Christmas_, so I can give you anything I want."

I felt my cheeks flush slightly. "I just don't want you to think I only love you for your money, I guess," I admitted softly. "You're too nice to me. I don't deserve…"

__

KIIIIIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSSS

Whoah! That was fast! Didn't even see him coming!

When he'd…er…finished, he hugged me hard. "You deserve every bit of it. And _more_. And if I have to keep drilling that into your head, well, so be it. Now open the box so Miaka doesn't eat the furniture in our absence."

With his arm still around me, I picked carefully at the metallic wrapping paper. "Helping me out," Saihitei removed the green bow and stuck it on my head. "Ah!" he exclaimed, teasing. "Now, _there's _the Nuriko I remember from my ancient days in Konan!" I giggled, succeeding in removing the wrapping and lifting the lid on the white cardboard box to reveal…

"SOCKS!!!!" I squealed, throwing my arms around his waist. And _cool _socks, at that! They were red, with green wreaths on them, but the center of each wreath was shaped like a heart. A _heart_!!! _He loves me enough to buy me stuff with hearts!! _"Ohhh, thankyouthankyouthankyou!!!"

He laughed. "If this is the reaction I get from getting you a pair of _socks_…"

"They're _heart socks_!!"

"Well, I'm glad you like them. Now, put them on and come see everyone, okay?"

"Okay." I tightened my grip on him, not wanting to leave the protective warmth of his arms. He let me hug him for a little longer before smooching my forehead and pulling away, assuring me that he'd just be downstairs.

Quick as a flash, I donned my new favorite socks, slipped my feet into my semi-nice shoes, did the little cologne thing, and skipped downstairs to see my friends…my _family._

~*~

Miaka, Taka, Myojuan, Shouka, and Doukun were already there in the den when I bounced in, sitting around the fire and laughing. I was glad Doukun was able to be with us; his parents had only let him stay here for Christmas Eve because his family's big Christmas Thing was on Christmas Day, so he was gonna drive back home the next morning. My own parents were visiting Kourin in Austria, so I was safe for the season.

"Ryuu-chaaaaaannnnnn!!!" everyone—and I mean _everyone_—exclaimed upon my entrance. Coming to a screeching halt, I regarded them with big, mock-frightened eyes, and they laughed.

"C'mon, come sit by me!" Miaka said, beckoning wildly with her hand. "At least until Saihitei gets back. He's getting snacks!" 

But just as I was heading over to the big gray couch, the doorbell rang again, and I elected myself Official Christmas Door Opener, running excitedly into the hall and flinging the door open.

I was greeted by an armful of brightly-wrapped boxes. 

"Well?" came a voice from behind the Present Wall. "Ya gonna fuckin help me, or _what_?"

"Gen-chan!" I exclaimed. "What did you _bring_??!!"

"Just take the damn presents before I fuckin _drop em_," he growled loudly. "I gotta get the rest from the fuckin car."

"The…_rest_?" Propping the door open with my foot, I leaned forward to take his burden from him, turning slowly back to the house to deposit them by the stairs. As I set them down, I noticed the name on the tags.

"To Ryuuen." "To Ryuuen, from Gen-chan." "To Ryuuen…" "Ryuuen." "Ryuuen…"

__

For crying out loud.

"Gen-chaaannnnnnn!!" I spun to face him, fists clenched. "It's been _a month_!!!! I've forgiven you _five thousand times_, what more d'ya want me to _do_???!!!"

"What the fuck are ya talkin about?" he called from his car. "I just gotcha lotsa cheap shit; everyone else's stuff cost more, so I had ta fuckin make up for it!"

"I don't believe you! You're still feeling guilty for that van thing!"

"Look, Willow Boy, I wouldn't fuckin talk about feelin _guilty_," he shot back, slamming the car door and returning with another armload of gifts that nearly obscured his face. "You're the one with the permanent fuckin guilt trip…"

"Er…what's wrong?" said Saihitei, popping his head out the door.

"Gen-chan got me too many presents because of the name he called me _a month ago_," I explained, gesturing to the pile at the foot of the stairs. 

"Look, I _told _you, I…"

"You two. It's Christmas," Sai interrupted, like a Seasonal Cliché Incarnate. "Can we try not to fight?"

"Yeah, Ryuuen, what's yer fuckin _problem_?" Genrou stuck out his tongue as he sidestepped through the door. I thumbed my nose at him in return, secretly vowing that I'd return some of the stuff he'd got me and slip the money back in his coat pocket, or something.

"Can we help you with any of that?" 

Startled, I turned back to the door. There, coming up the walk, were Houjun and Kouran, each toting a bag full of packages. Forgetting my previous Genrou-induced snapping, my face split into a huge smile and I bopped down to meet them. 

"Houjun!!" I exclaimed, hugging his arm as he walked. "How are you? How was the move?"

"Gahhhhhh," groaned Kouran, rolling her eyes. "I never want to see another cardboard box _again_!"

"Well, you picked the right season for that declaration," Houjun chuckled, and she laughed. 

"Do you think you'll miss New York, Kouran? It's gotta be tough, living in a big city for so long and then moving to…_Indiana_." I wrinkled my nose.

She shrugged, and smiled at Houjun as he held the door open for us. "Between you and me," she leaned in and whispered to me, "it's worth it."

My heart was so happy that I almost cried.

We had a kind of buffet-type meal, with shrimp and a veggie tray and cheese and crackers and cookies and fun finger food like that, taking our plates from the kitchen into the den so we could eat around the fire. Saihitei was right; we _did _have about five truckloads of food, and surprisingly enough, Miaka managed to control herself more than normal. Maybe she and Taka had had a Talk before coming, heehee. I sat between Sai and Genrou—somehow, I _always _seemed to get crammed between those two!—and ate my shrimp, and laughed at Kouran and Houjun as they related disastrous moving stories. 

I liked Kouran. She was funny and smart, and she made Houjun so happy. They'd said a while ago that Hikou had been out of touch with both of them for years, which was really too bad, but it made it much easier for Houjun to begin a relationship with Kouran. I hoped they'd reunite with Hikou soon, though. A friend is a friend, after all.

It was perfect. It was completely perfect in every way. My friends were all happy. _I _was happy. And we were together, laughing and telling stories in fuzzy sweaters and cool socks, with a big Christmas tree in the background. We had to keep our Seishi Past on the low-down, since Kouran and Shouka didn't know anything yet. But maybe they would soon. Maybe they would.

Somewhere along the line, Gen-chan started making his shrimp _dance_. I think I laughed harder at that than I had at anything in a long time. What made matters worse was when he decided to "_kill_" the poor shrimp by dipping it in the cocktail sauce that Myojuan had made and putting it through an entire high-pitched death soliloquy.

"GAAHHHH, I'm fuckin dyin!! GAAAHHHHH!!!!"

"S…S…." I managed, trying to beg him to stop, but laughing too hard.

"WAAHHHHAAAAA!!!" screamed "The Shrimp" as it took a flying leap from Gen-chan's hand and into my hair.

"G…G…" I squeaked with the same success I'd had with "Stop." Beside me, Sai was _giggling_, which was weird, and the ensuing laughter made my stomach hurt. When we'd calmed down a bit, and Sai had picked the suicidal shrimp from my hair, I was sent gently off to the downstairs bathroom to clean myself up. Aiming a light swat at Genrou, somehow managing _not _to punch him into the next millennium, I stumbled off to the sink.

Still giggling, I scooped some water onto the cocktail-sauce-covered part of my hair, cleaning it off pretty easily with a tiny bit of mulberry-scented soap. I felt bad using one of the decorative Christmas towels to dry off, but we'd put the normal towels away, so I didn't have a choice. By the time my laughter had stopped, my hair was decently dry, and I'd washed my eyes to clear them of mirthful tears. I wiped my face off with the same towel so I wouldn't waste another one. 

And when I lowered it, came face to face with myself in the mirror, I froze.

__

That's… That's…

There were two eyes staring back at me, large and clear and bright. Slowly, I brought my hands down, setting the towel back on the counter…but my right hand came immediately back up again, habitually going to rest against my cheek. 

__

That's…me. 

My hair was damp in spots, and my bangs were sticking up strangely because I'd just washed my face. I was still skinny, still girly and pale…but…

__

There's something more. There's a little something more to me, isn't there? That's what Saihitei sees…that's what he sees.

I could feel it in my heart.

I gave myself a tiny smile that soon flickered and grew into a grin. It was just a little feeling, but it was something. It was more than I'd ever felt before. Mesmerized, I could only stare at myself for a whole two minutes; when I finally made my way slowly back into the den, I stood in the open doorway and looked across at Sai.

He was laughing, one hand to his brow, shaking his head. He was the most wonderful person I knew; kind, considerate, gentle, understanding. He held my hand at the movies. He stayed up with me and held me on those nights when my nightmare kept coming back. 

And he loved me. He loved me for me.

When he realized I was standing there, he straightened in his seat, meeting my eyes, smile fading a bit in worry. "Ryuuen? Are you all right?"

__

"I wouldn't care what you looked like, as long as it was you on the inside. I wish you could see that," he'd said. "I wish you could see it."

I see it, Saihitei. 

I see it.

I crossed the room in a number of timid steps, my lower lip trembling despite my smile. Before he could worry any more, I dropped down onto the soft leather of the couch, wrapped my arms around his neck, and kissed him. Everyone else whooped and started applauding, which made me giggle and drop my head to his shoulder.

"I love you," I whispered, sappy tears in my eyes.

He was surprised, understandably…but lay his head against mine, and I could feel him smiling. "I love you, too." 

As Genrou was complaining that Miaka had eaten all the fudge squares, Shouka was gently teasing Myojuan about his sudden desire to get a cat, and Doukun was trying to explain something to the effect that if you leave a cat in a box with rat poison it was both dead and alive at the same time (????!!!), I sighed happily. With these people in my life, I was the luckiest person in the world. 

And the best part was, our story was only beginning.

****

THE END

Notes: Ahhhhhhh, it's over!!! I finished it!!!! **bursts into tears** I miss it!! I apologize for the sap, though Kei-chan says it's okay. And for anybody who was wondering, I do have plans for a sequel. ^^;;; Eheh. It'll probably have more action than this one, and some of the bad guys're gonna come back and stuff like that, and certain questions will be answered, like what the heck is up with the tessen…well, anyway. ^^

The thing with the cat in the box is seriously a theory. ~.^ Someone tried to explain it to me the other night, but I don't remember the name of the thing, or who came up with it. **shrug** The theory is that, if you leave a cat in a box with rat poison and you don't go back and check on it, there's as much of a chance that it'd be dead as alive, so therefore, it's dead and alive at the same time. It makes NO SENSE to me, because the fact is, that cat is either gonna be dead or alive, whether you look under the damn box or _not_. Crazy drugged-up philosophers. ^_~

And all you guys who thought I was gonna trick ya and not have a happy ending. Tsk, tsk, tsk. ^___~ Happy endings are what fanfiction is for!!! ^__^ Woohoo!!!!

****

Shameless Plug: If you guys liked this fic and you think Nuriko and Hotohori are kinda cute together, you might wanna check out www.geocities.com/willowstarknights/ ^_^ You can become a member of our Nuri/Hori Knighthood (Knights of the Willow and Star, or "Kotwas," which sounds German. **nod**) and get a title and everything!! 

****

Thanks: Okay, there are a TON of thanks that have to go out for this fic. 

****

Kaze-chan and Ryuen: You guys are the best editors a purple mouse could ask for. ^____^ Love ya lots.

****

Red-chan: Thank you so much for the Chichiri help! I'm glad he was satisfactory. ^_~

****

Kei-chan: You've been nothing but encouraging for this entire story, and I really thank you for that. **sniffle** **hugs**

****

Schwencky: Thanks for being my Real Life Reader. ^_^ It's cool that you care, even if you can't tell the difference between monkeys and hawks. :P L.Y.L.A.S.!! 

****

RAVEN: (being Rye, Anu, Vero, and…hey, I can't thank myself! So let's make it…)

****

RAV: (heehee) You guys are my bestest buds, and it really meant a lot to me that you enjoyed this so much. Anu, you're the best Out Loud Reader I know. May Ewan McGregor sing to you in your sleep. ^_~ Vero, I'm glad you didn't mind the sap. And Rye, I'm glad you don't mind shounen ai as long as you're not a part of it. ^_~ 

****

Reviewy People: You guys are the reason I kept writing this story!! I can't tell you how much you've helped me out, and I'm really really happy you all seemed to like it so much. ^^;;

****

Reader People: Thank you so much for reading my story, and I hope you all liked it, too. ^___^

Well, believe it or not, this is the longest story I have ever finished in my _liiiiiife_. ^_^() Just wanna say that it's been a whole ton of fun, and that I'm wearing my cool rainbow-striped toe socks right now. ^________^

****

ANOTHER STORY AKUGI (this one's kinda lame, but I'll tack on more later. ^_~)

Ryuuen: **narrating** By the time my laughter had stopped, my hair was decently dry, and I'd washed my eyes to clear them of mirthful tears. I wiped my face off with the same towel so I wouldn't waste another one. And when I lowered it, came face to face with myself in the mirror, I froze.

****

Ryuuen: OH MY GOD, I'VE TURNED INTO A PINEAPPLE!!!!!!!


	27. FUN STUFF!!!

Eheh…well, hi again, everyone. Now, before you say anything, _yes_, the first part of this story is over!! I just…felt the strange need to put some fun stuff at the end. Cuz…I'm a spazz. Yeah. ^___^ I'm in denial, though. I keep going to my compy to write more of this story, but then…it's all done!! AHHH!!! **cries** Of course, there's a sequel coming, but…still. **pouts** It was so much fun. And I've never finished anything before. It is a new and bizarre feeling. But, anyway; on to the fun stuff!! ^____^

****

FUN STUFF:

THE ANOTHER STORY

SOUNDTRACK!!!

Yes, that's right! Another Story now has a soundtrack. Why? Because Mouse-chan has no life. **nodnod** So if you find all these songs and put them on one cassette or CD, you, too, can have The Another Story Soundtrack (or…TASS, I guess, if you're weird). All these songs are either mentioned in the story or I think they fit well. ^__^

****

Track Listings:

One: At The Beginning, by Richard Marx and Donna Lewis. (This is the "opening theme." ^^)  
**Two: Genrou's Theme **(a.k.a. "Fat Lip," by Sum 41)  
**Three: Can You Feel The Love Tonight? **by Elton John  
**Four: Come What May, **from Moulin Rouge  
**Five: 19-2000**, by The Gorillaz (the fast version, not the slow version)

****

Six: The Elephant Love Medley, from Moulin Rouge  
**Seven: I Could Fall In Love, **by Selena (cuz it fits Ryuuen!! ^___^)  
**Eight: You'll Be In My Heart**, by Phil Collins (This is the "closing theme." ^_~ )

Technically, 19-2000 should be on there about six hundred times. But I figured I'd give some other songs a chance. ^_~ None of these songs are mine, by the way. In case that wasn't obvious. It's just for fun, and because I was procrastinating. ^^ Ohhh, yeah! And you can add 'We Didn't Start The Fire' by Billy Joel, if you like, in between 'Can You Feel The Love Tonight?' and 'Come What May.' I didn't put it on mine because I don't have it on CD anywhere, and therefore could not record it. Sad. **sniff**

****

MORE FUN STUFF:

ANOTHER STORY:

The Five-Minute Version

Part One

Chapter One:

Taka: Let's watch a movie.

****

Ryuuen & Genrou: Okay.

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Two:

Chuin: Hey! Come to dinner with me!

****

Ryuuen: Get away from me, you freak!

****

Saihitei: I'll save you! And here's my coat.

****

Ryuuen: Hey, this guy's really cool!

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Three:

Genrou: Damn! I'll kick Chuin's ass!

****

Kouji: Come to the Halloween party!

****

Ryuuen: Okay.

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Four:

Ryuuen: Wow, nice party. Let's go to Taka's now.

****

Taka: Hey, guys, this is Saihitei.

****

Saihitei: Hi. 

****

Ryuuen: AHHH!!

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Five:

Ryuuen: I'm sick. 

****

Saihitei: I'll take you home. I like you.

****

Ryuuen: Don't like me, it's freaky.

****

Saihitei: Okay.

****

Ryuuen: Damn, he's fine.

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Six

Ryuuen: I'm gonna pretend I don't like him.

****

Saihitei: I'm gonna stalk him, and then maybe he'll decide he likes me.

****

Ryuuen: I'm gonna stay alone in my room to avoid him.

****

Saihitei: I'm gonna go get drunk because he's avoiding me.

****

Ryuuen: Hmm…sandwich!

****

Saihitei: I LOVE YOU!!! **KISSY KISSY**

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Seven

Ryuuen: Eeeheeheheheheheehheeeehee!!

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Eight

Saihitei: You used to be a Seishi.

****

Ryuuen: Really? That's nice.

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Nine

Saihitei: All your friends used to be Seishi, too.

****

Taka: But don't tell them.

****

Ryuuen: Okay.

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Ten

Saihitei: Everyone you've ever known in your whole entire life used to live in the same world we did when we were Seishi, and you were a crossdresser.

****

Ryuuen: WHAAAAT??

****

Miaka: Hey, look! Keisuke found a fan!

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Eleven

Saihitei: Must be a sign to tell Tasuki about his Seishiness.

****

Taka: You guys should go tell him.

****

Saihitei: Hey, Genrou. You used to be a Seishi.

****

Genrou: AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Twelve:

Ryuuen: Well, let's go find Genrou…Hey! That building just exploded!

****

Saihitei: I will now give an inspirational speech and you will save this crushed man!

****

Ryuuen: Right on!

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Thirteen:

Ryuuen: Anyone seen Genrou?

****

Houjun: He's in jail.

****

Ryuuen: Hey! You remember being a Seishi!

****

Houjun: Sshhhh, don't tell anyone.

****

TBC…. --;;

Update: Umm…Ryuen thought I should give a Sequel Update, soooo…I'm working on the sequel. **nodnodnod** I'm almost done with the first chapter, and I have a pretty good idea of how it's gonna go. ^___^ That's all for now!! Mouse-chan over and out.


	28. More Fun Stuff!

****

EVEN MORE FUN STUFF!!

In Honor of Another Story's Birthday. ^_~

Well, it's been a whole year since I started writing AS. In honor of the fact that I still have no life, Ryu-chan and I have made…an Another Story Character Selector test. --;; Yes, thassright. You can answer a bunch of questions and figure out which Another Story or Yet Another Story character you are most like. ^_~ 

The one problem is, neither Ryuen nor I know exactly how to work the html for the test to work on its own. (If anyone has this info, we would be greatly appreciative.) However, we intend to calculate each test by hand…so it might take a day or so for you to get your response. Please have patience with the technologically unenlightened!

OH!! And the test has two pages, so it's VERY important to put your email address on BOTH of the pages so we get a complete copy. ^_~

Okie dokie, sooo…here's the address: http://www.geocities.com/anotherstorytest/YASQuiz.html

****

ANOTHER STORY

The Five-Minute Version

Part Two

Chapter Fourteen:

Doukun: Let Genrou out of jail.

****

Ayuru: Okay.

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Fifteen: 

Saihitei: Let's go back to my house and go to bed.

****

  
Ryuuen: O.O;;

****

Saihitei: …Just to _sleep_. And have I mentioned I'd love you if you were a mushroom?

****

Ryuuen: …

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Sixteen:

Myojuan: I'll tell Doukun about the past.

****

  
Ryuuen: And I'll sculpt with my wasabi!

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Seventeen:

Saihitei: A giant werewolf slaughtered you in your past life.

****

Ryuuen: Oh. Okay.

****

Genrou: WE LOST MY FUCKIN TESSEN!!!

****

Ryuuen & Saihitei: Crap!

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Eighteen:

Genrou: Maybe that police dude has it…

****

Saihitei: Change of plans. Houjun went crazy.

****

Ryuuen: …Eh?

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Nineteen:

Ryuuen: So, yeah. Houjun has his memories.

****

Taka: And he's going to New York City!

****

All: _New York City??!_

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Twenty:

Ryuuen: Road Trip! 

****

Miaka: Thanks for coming, guys.

****

Genrou: Hey! Harry Potter kicks ass!

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Twenty-One:

Ryuuen: Whoah, I had a nightmare! 

****

Genrou: Ya fag!

****

Ryuuen: **cries**

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Twenty-Two:

Ryuuen: Yayy, we're in New York!

****

Taka: TICKLE TICKLE TICKLE!!!

****

Saihitei: Gyahhh!!

****

Ryuuen: Whoah, I had another nightmare!

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Twenty-Three:

Doukun: Let's stand around for five million years and wait for Houjun to magically grace us with his presence!

****

All: Okay!!

****

Crickets: **chirp chirp**

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Twenty-Four:

Ryuuen: Whoah, I had _another _nightmare, and I now know that it's about my own death!

****

Saihitei: I will comfort you and cry because I feel guilty about abandoning you!

****

Ryuuen: Okay, let's go have lunch now.

****

Saihitei: Okay.

****

Ryuuen: DUDE! Who's that guy in the window across the street?!?

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Twenty-Five:

Ryuuen: HOUJUN!! It's you!

****

Houjun: Yup.

****

Kouran: Someone looking for me?

****

Houjun: Ehehehehe…

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Twenty-Six:

Ryuuen: Yayyyy!! Everyone's together and happy and Sai got me socks!

****

All: Merry Christmas!!

^_^

THE END


End file.
